Maine Start-up Challenge�Business Plan Canvas Template - K-8 & High School Edition

Maine Startup Challenge Overview

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Maine Venture Fund (MVF) is hosting a business plan competition, the Maine Startup Challenge, on May 20th, 2026, and we invite you to participate.

What is a business plan? Watch MVF’s MSC 101 and “No idea to business plan in 10 minutes” videos

A business plan is a high-level overview of a business idea. It outlines how the business will work. What will you sell? Who will buy it? Who are your competitors? The business plan helps entrepreneurs organize and communicate their ideas, and enables them to get support from their community.

Tell us about the competition!

Business plans will be judged on the value proposition, feasibility, and Maine impact by a panel of Maine investors and entrepreneurs. The winning business plans will be awarded cash prizes. MVF will host the showcase event on May 20th, 2026, to celebrate and allow the winner to share their idea with the startup community.

• K-8: 1st Place Prize $1,000, and Runner-up $500
• High School: 1st Place Prize $1,500, and Runner-up $500

How do we participate?

1. In a team or on your own, brainstorm your best ideas for a business.
2. Complete the Business Plan Canvas on the next slide to flush out the details and communicate the business idea.
3. Submit your business plan canvas on the MSC website during the application window. Applications will open on May 1, 2026.

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[Insert business name]

What is the main problem your business solves?

What could your customers do instead of buy your product to solve this problem?

What is the product or service you are proposing?

What numbers will you track to know how your business is doing?

What is the value you are providing to customers?

How will you reach your customer? How will they know your solution exists?

What is not easily copied about your business approach?

Describe the type of people who are most likely to buy from you.

List the products or services you will sell, and the prices you will charge.

List the things you will need to buy to run your business.

Maine Startup Challenge Business Plan Canvas Template

Business Name:

PROBLEM

ALTERNATIVES

VALUE PROPOSITION

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS

ADVANTAGE

CHANNELS

SOLUTION

KEY METRICS

COSTS

REVENUE

Completed Example for “Rosemont Dog Walking” company

Rosemont Dog Walking

What is the main problem your business solves?

What could your customers do instead of buy your product to solve this problem?

How will your business make your customers' lives easier?

What numbers will you track to know how your business is doing?

What is your business doing better than anyone else?

How will you reach your customer? How will they know your solution exists?

What is not easily copied about your business approach?

Describe the type of people who are most likely to buy from you.

List the products or services you will sell, and the prices you will charge

List the things you will need to buy to run your business.

1. Has a dog that needs to be walked during times of the day when owner is not home
2. They find current dog walking services to be expensive around Portland
3. There are sometimes no dog walkers available during the weekday afternoons when they need them

Our solution is to create a new dog walking service that only serves the Rosemont neighborhood, so that local dog owners can find a dog walker close by, reduce the cost and time waiting for their pup to get a walk, and make more Rosemont dogs happy!

1. Hire a dog walker from an app or website who travels from up to 15 miles away
2. Go home to walk the dog and miss time from work
3. Give dog away to a kennel because they cannot care for it :(

1. # dog owners who join
2. # dog walkers who join
3. # dog walks done by our dog walkers
4. Reviews and feedback from our customers and dog walkers

We’re starting a dog-walking company that exists only to serve the Rosemont area. If you live in Rosemont, this means no more long waits during the busy hours of the day when your dog needs a walk most, and less cost since your walker is already in the neighborhood. Other dog walking services exist for the whole of Portland, which means your dog walker could live pretty far from where you live. When dog walkers travel further to get to your dog, they charge more money per walk. Our service focuses on local walkers - with more availability and lower prices in Rosemont, where there are a lot of dogs who need a walk!

Ours will be the first dog walking service to serve just the Rosemont neighborhood.

Host a big fun picnic in the Rosemont neighborhood to introduce our company, introduce neighbors and their dogs, while advertising the program.

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Post ads in community spaces, like coffeeshops, libraries, and volunteer organization newsletters and pages.

Our target customers are dog owners who are currently paying for pet-sitting or dog-walking services and who live in Rosemont.

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We will advertise jobs for dog walkers who live in Rosemont, and who are already working as dog walkers for the greater Portland area and would like to save time and and money by staying local.

• Dog owners will pay for each walk they request, and also a one-time fee to join the program
• Rosemont Dog Walking will make a small amount from the cost of each dog walk, and the rest will go to the dog walker.
• $15 per walk is our starting rate to the customer, with $5 going to the company, and $10 going to the dog walker

• Costs for running the website or app where dog owners and dog walkers meet
• Costs for staff advertising the program
• Costs for staff fundraising for the business

Maine Startup Challenge Business Plan Canvas Template

Business Name:

PROBLEM

ALTERNATIVES

VALUE PROPOSITION

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS

ADVANTAGE

CHANNELS

SOLUTION

KEY METRICS

COSTS

REVENUE