About the Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest

Congratulations to the 2013 Grand Prize Winner – Fred Montgomery, NitricGen Inc.
For the complete list of winners, visit the Newsroom.

Click here to watch a brief overview of the contest given by Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.

The mission of the Governor’s Business Plan Contest is to encourage entrepreneurs in the creation, startup and early-growth stages of high-tech businesses in Wisconsin. Finalists will share in more than $100,000 in seed capital and in-kind services that will help them launch their businesses. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 2,300 entries have been received and about $1.5 million in cash and services (such as legal, accounting, office space and marketing) have been awarded.

Learn more about the Governor's Business Plan Contest.

Produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council and a growing list of partners, the Governor's Business Plan Contest engages contestants in a six-month process that includes mentoring and comments from judges on selected plans. It will also lead to valuable public and media exposure for the best business plans submitted by contestants and spur economic growth in Wisconsin. In addition, past finalists have raised tens of millions of dollars in private equity, such as angel and venture capital.

The statewide contest is an opportunity to compete for cash and in-kind prizes, but it's also a chance to get constructive feedback on your business plan and to help move it from a virtual business to a reality. In 2013, finalists will once again have the opportunity to win upwards of $100,000 in cash and services!

For a list of 2013 contest sponsors, click here.

This year the Governor’s Business Plan Contest will partner with the Cleantech Open 2013 Accelerator and Competition! Any “cleantech” entries that meet the criteria for the accelerator program and advance to the top 25 in the Governor’s Business Plan Contest will have their application fee waived for the 2013 Accelerator and Competition. These entries will also receive a discounted ticket to the Midwest Innovation Summit in October. “Cleantech” entries reaching the Governor’s Business Plan Contest’s “Diligent Dozen” round will gain a full tuition scholarship for the 2013 Accelerator and Competition, which includes both the application and participation fees.