"Opportunity for Indiana"
Business Plan Competition
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The "Opportunity for Indiana" business plan competition began in 2004 as part
of a three-year program designed to provide more opportunities and competitive
jobs for graduates of Indiana's colleges, universities, technical schools and
high schools. The primary goals of the program are to create and nurture
innovative enterprises, to place interns in high-tech start-up companies and to
provide networking opportunities for new enterprises.
"Opportunity for Indiana" was originally sponsored through a grant from
The Lilly Endowment, Inc. Through this grant the business plan competition
awarded prizes of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 to the first, second and third
place winners. Purdue University Calumet and Purdue North Central are partners
in the Northwest Region competition.
In 2004, 2005 and 2006 the Northwest Region competition attracted over 250
start-up businesses to the competition. Many of these companies are now growing,
prospering and contributing to the economic success of Northwest Indiana. In an
effort to sustain this successful program and continue to grow businesses that
will employ Indiana’s graduates Purdue University Calumet and Purdue North
Central are currently seeking the financial support of the business and
investment community.
“In the long run, we will succeed by partnering together. We can’t be a
great university unless the economy performs well. The private sector cannot
succeed if we don’t produce the talent pool they need to populate their
companies. We are joined in a common destiny that is the future of Indiana.
Investing in that future, through business plan competitions, through
internships, is one way we work together to build a better future for our
state,” Martin C. Jischke, President, Purdue University.
For More Information
For further information regarding the competition or contributing financially
to the program, please contact Beth Pellicciotti, Assistant Vice Chancellor for
Academic Quality Programming,
pellicmb@calumet.purdue.edu.
The Opportunity for Indiana Business Plan Competition was launched with
the generous support of
The Lilly Endowment.
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