It’s your chance to share in more than $100,000 in cash and prizes…but only if you hurry.

Image courtesy of hyena reality / freedigitalphotos.net

The Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest was started in 2004 to encourage entrepreneurs to launch and grow high-technology businesses in Wisconsin.  In addition to giving promising entrepreneurs a chance to share in cash and prizes, the contest also connects participants to a statewide network of startup advisers and investors.   

The deadline to enter this year’s contest is 5:00 p.m on January 31st, and the entry requirements are simple.  All you need to do is submit a 250-word (or 1,400 character) abstract for your plan, business or idea.

Judges will review each of the submitted abstracts, and the contestants who submitted the best abstracts will advance to Phase II of the contest.  In that phase, each contestant will be asked to submit a 1,000-word (or 6,200 character) executive summary of his or her business plan. Phase II submissions will, again, be reviewed by judges, who will, again, select a group of applicants to advance to the next phase of the contest. During Phase III, each of the remaining contestants will prepare a 15 to 20-page final business plan. Judges will then select 12 finalists from this group, and these finalists will compete for the top honors by making oral presentations to the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, which will take place in Madison on June 3rd.

The winner of the grand prize in last year’s contest was NitricGen, an early-stage Middleton company that is developing a device to treat diabetic foot ulcers.  Other winners included Gristmill Studios, a Fitchburg mobile and Xbox game development firm; V-Glass of Pewaukee, a company developing insulated glass to improve energy efficiency; and Balanz of Delafield, a company that is creating a system for use by semi-trailer trucks to measure efficiency and wear and tear.

For more information about the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest and additional details about how to apply, visit the contest website, which can be found at www.govsbizplancontest.com .

This article was written by Janice L. Gauthier, Esq. Ms. Gauthier has an A.B., cum laude, from Harvard University and a J.D, cum laude,. from Harvard Law School.  She is a startup attorney and the owner of The Gauthier Law Group, LLC, a boutique startup law firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that represents founders, entrepreneurs, startups and early-stage businesses in Wisconsin and Illinois.  You can contact Ms. Gauthier at 414-270-3855, ext. 101 or by email. To learn more about Ms. Gauthier’s background and experience, visit her Google or LinkedIn profiles.

© 2014 The Gauthier Law Group, LLC.  All rights reserved.