Selection Criteria

Sparkseed's judges will use the following criteria to assess your venture idea, especially during the second and third rounds of the competition.

1. Concept

• Innovation
• Social impact
• Scalability

2. Motivation

• Your reason to pursue this particular social issue

3. Feasibility

• Thorough plan and timetable for implementation
• Potential for social impact and financial sustainability

4. Market

• Demand for products / services
• Knowledge of target market
• Competitive Analysis, SWOT Analysis
• Strategic Marketing Plan (where applicable)

5. Management Team

• Strength of team
• Experience
• Passion for social change
• Commitment

6. Presentation

• Presentation style and skill

Eligibility Rules

Applications will only be considered for contestants and ventures that meet the following criteria:

1. Undergraduate student(s) currently enrolled in a nationally accredited college or university in the United States. Proof of enrollment will be requested of all finalist contestants.
2. The venture must be completely student-led. Teams may consult with mentors or experienced professionals.
3. One of the venture’s main goals should be to address and/or solve a significant social issue.
4. The proposed venture may not be a wholly owned subsidiary of an existing for-profit or nonprofit entity.
5. If the venture is already in existence, it cannot be in existence for more than two years. The start of the venture is marked by first income received.
6. Ventures can be for profit or non-profit.
7. All plans must be written in English.

Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Guidelines

• The authors of each social venture plan will retain all rights to their plan regarding its use at all times prior to and following the competition except as stated below. Due to the nature of the competition, we will not ask judges, reviewers, staff or the audience to agree to or sign non-disclosure statements for any participant.
• All public sessions of the competition, including but not limited to oral presentations and question/answer sessions, are open to the public at large. Any and all of these public sessions may be broadcast to interested persons through media, which may include radio, television and the Internet. Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions by entrants should be considered information that will likely enter the public realm, and entrants should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged or presented in these sessions.
• Sparkseed may make photocopies, photographs, videotapes and/or audiotapes of the presentations, including the business plan and other documents, charts or materials. Students retain all proprietary rights. Sparkseed may use the materials in any book or other printed materials and any videotape or other medium that it may produce, provided that any profits earned from the sale of such items is used by Sparkseed solely to defray the costs of supporting its social innovators. Sparkseed has non-exclusive world rights, in all languages and in all media, to use or to publish the materials in any book, other printed materials, videotapes or other medium and to use the materials in future editions thereof and derivative products.