Call for Executive Summaries

A review committee of industry professionals will evaluate each business plan submitted. Ten companies will be selected by the committee to participate in the main presentation event on October 11. To provide an additional level of support and useful feedback, the submission guidelines will be different this year than in the past. Please carefully review the information below.

Important Dates for 2005:

• July 31 - Deadline for Business Plan Submission

  Business plans will be reviewed and evaluated using the criteria outlined below. Companies selected to present in the main event will be contacted by a representative from the committee by August 30.

Why should a company submit their plan?

• All submitting companies will receive feedback from the highly qualified review committee, whether or not your company is accepted for presentation at the Forum.
  
  
• Plans will be evaluated against 12 areas in the categories of: Market Opportunity; Product/Service Viability; and Management Team Capabilities. Feedback from the review committee will be given in each area.
  
  
• Presenting companies will have the opportunity to give mock presentations to members of the highly qualified review committee and receive seasoned feedback from the review committee to help fine-tune the presentation.
  
  
• Opportunity to expose and publicize your business and business plan to an impressive audience of capital providers at the Forum on October 11.
  
  
• Networking with capital providers at the Forum networking receptions, meals, and breaks. Companies selected to present their plan at the Forum may further enhance their networking with a company booth at the Forum.
  
  
  
  

What to submit:

• Company Description
• Market and Competition
• Products / Services and the Technology
• Competitive Advantage
• Business Model
• Management Team
• Financial Projections

The plan should make a compelling case for how you will make money and why investors should have confidence investing in your business.

Eligibility: Early to later stage companies with high growth potential, proprietary technologies, and committed leadership.

Benefits of Participation:

• Present your plan to an investor audience comprised of venture capital firms, corporate venture arms and angel investors
• Coaching for your business plan presentation

Judging Criteria:

Judges will rank submissions foremost on the premise that a good plan can attract funding. Further, the plans will be judged on their logic and clarity of thinking, and effectiveness of communicating the items described in "what to submit". The judges will be looking for evidence that the plan has been well researched to demonstrate the viability of the business opportunity. Other key judging criteria will include:

• Potential to Achieve and manage rapid growth
• Innovative product or service
• Sustainable competitive advantages over competitors
• Large market opportunity
• Clear value proposition to the target customer
• High ROI potential

Judges: A panel of volunteer judges with business and financial experience will review the plans and rank each in accordance with the criteria outlined in the judging criteria above.

Deadline: Business plans should be 30 pages or less and must be submitted electronically no later than July 31, 2005. Please e-mail them to Matt Crisp, Third Security, LLC., at matt.crisp@thirdsecurity.com

For more information please contact:

Matt Crisp
Third Security, LLC
1881 Grove Avenue
Radford, VA 24141
matt.crisp@thirdsecurity.com