The Acumen for Social Enterprise Business Plan Competition 2013 (ASE 2013) aims to be an “innovation accelerator.” The Competition is designed to encourage participants to identify pressing social and/or environmental issues and develop original ideas for social ventures that address these gaps, coupled with the support of an integrative learning experience and mentorship from Dubai+Acumen.

In this way, the Competition works to foster a new generation of leaders in the U.A.E. that go on to develop viable social enterprises. Whether you win one of the prizes on offer,  go on to implement your proposed new social venture, or simply take advantage of the learning and apply it to enhance your idea,  we guarantee that ASE 2013 will be an exciting, challenging, and rewarding experience.

We look forward to understanding more about your idea, hearing your pitch, and providing you with some valuable feedback along the way. For detailed information on the competition, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dubai-for-Acumen/226974610651169. Questions?  Contact us at dubai@plusacumen.org.

Entry Rules and Submission Guidelines

 - Entrants must be at least 21 years old (as of 31 December 2013).

- All Entrants (whether individuals or members of a team) must be legal UAE residents. Proof of residency will be requested prior to registration at the Workshop series.

- The Statement of Interest is mandatory for any Entrant (individual or team) seeking to compete in ASE 2013. Deadline for Submission: 11:59 p.m. on 19 October 2013.

- The proposed idea must meet the criteria of a "Social Enterprise", namely by having a primarily social, rather than financial, objective and being market-based and financially self-sustaining through earned revenues and profits rather than grants or donations.

- The proposed idea must present an innovative solution to a defined problem prevalent in the U.A.E. (such as climate change, environmental conservation, societal issue) in one of the following broad sectors:  Health, Energy, Agriculture, Water, Housing, Education.

- Ideas and concepts presented in the Statement of Interest must be the original work of the Entrant(s). The Entrant confirms that he/she is not under any agreement or restrictions which prohibit or restrict his/her ability to disclose or submit such ideas or concepts during the Competition activities.

- The Entrant understands and agrees that although Competition organizers will make the best efforts regarding confidentiality of the ideas and plans submitted by entering teams, the legal protection of the ideas and plans is the sole responsibility of the Entrant(s).  










A. THE PROPOSED SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

Business Overview (750 words maximum)

The Business Overview must address each of the three main sections detailed below: A1, A2 and A3. You do not need to respond to every prompt under each section but are encouraged to use these prompts to guide your thinking and prepare a comprehensive response.  

A1. The Problem

o What specific social or environmental problem does your idea solve/address?
o Why is this problem important and who benefits from addressing it?
o What is/are the root cause(s) of the problem?
o What is the scale of the problem? Is the problem of local, national and/or global importance?
o Are current solutions to the problem offered? Are they effective? Why or why not? Are any of them market-based?

A2. The Idea

o What is your proposed social venture?
o How does your idea meet the definition of a social enterprise? Is it innovative?
o Demonstrate how your idea is market-based and financially self-sustaining through earned revenues and profits rather than grants or donations
o Is your idea more effective than existing solutions aimed at addressing your identified problem?
o Does your idea actually address the root cause(s) of the problem, and not just a symptom?
o What is the potential for social impact and how will your solution create the intended impact?

A3. Progress to date

(e.g. still formulating the concept, doing background research, putting a team together, working on a business plan, etc. Please describe any setbacks or challenges you have faced with this idea, if any.)