The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) will hold its second annual Business Plan Competition in its MSc. programme in Industrial Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management (IIEM) at the O’Meara campus on Thursday 10 July, 2008. The highly successful twelve month, full-time IIEM Programme is based on a similar Masters programme at the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge in the UK. It culminates in a Business Plan Competition with the objective of obtaining finance for the start-up of an authentic and globally competitive business from Trinidad and Tobago. The programme year ends with upcoming Research Project submission, an International Study and the Business Plan Competition. These activities require graduates to use the knowledge and skills acquired during the earlier part of the programme to observe, engage in research, develop and present business proposals for globally competitive, technology based businesses. The judging panel for the business plan competition will include investment firms and lending agencies from both the local and international financial community.

This year’s winning business plan will access $100,000.00 in start-up funds provided by CLICO Investment Bank, the competition’s sponsor, based on the achievement of pre-determined milestones in starting up the new venture. Two additional prizes of $10,000.00 will also be awarded for the best plan with a technology innovation and a Vision 2020 industry focus, also tied to the achievement of pre-determined start-up milestones.

Last year’s winning business plan earned the coveted “Investors’ Choice Award” at the prestigious Global Social Enterprise Competition at the University of Washington in February of this year. Over eighty (80) business plans were submitted from universities worldwide including Harvard, Stanford and Cornell.

IIEM continues to integrate essential learning and relevant skills from lectures, practical exercises, national and international company visits and live industrial projects.
For information on next year’s programme, please contact Professor Denise Thompson at 642-8888 ext. 21111 / 21142 or visit the website at www.utt.edu.tt.