Southwest Louisiana – If you’ve got a groundbreaking business idea, the SEED Center Business Incubator has an opportunity for you! Its eighth annual Business Pitch Competition, set for April 2, 2020, is where dreamers can get the funds to start their new business.

“New businesses are starting up all over our region, and we are honored to have been the starting point for some innovative businesses. With our Annual Business Pitch, we set the stage for the next entrepreneurial superstar.” said Adrian L. Wallace, executive director of the SEED Center Business Incubator. “Everything begins with an idea. This is a business pitch and not business plan.  If someone just has a business idea they want to pitch, this is a great place to start. The Pitch has served as a launching pad for many of our past winners and participants. A2J Photobooth, Catalyst Medical Scribe, and Waitr are just a few of the success stories from previous Business Pitch Competitions.”  

The pitch competition, the premier event of its kind in the area, raises awareness for the SEED Center Business Incubator in an effort to spread a spirit of entrepreneurship in Southwest Louisiana. With those goals in mind, the competition is open to Southwest Louisiana residents from Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis parishes and to entrepreneurs interested in starting a business in the region. Competitors should prepare a short business pitch and be ready to answer questions from a panel of judges about their idea. 

The competition includes four divisions – high school students, college students, general business and technology. The winners in each division will receive $5,000. The overall winner will receive a cash prize in addition to a variety of legal, accounting, marketing and other services provided by the competition’s sponsors. More than $65,000 in prizes are available to competitors.

Registration is currently open at seedcenterswla.org. There is no fee to enter. The deadline is March 17, but competitors who register early can take advantage of workshops prior to the competition to assist them in refining their pitches and firmly establishing their business ideas. 

The eighth annual Business Pitch Competition is made possible through the support of a variety of sponsors who believe in the spirit of entrepreneurship. This year’s primary sponsors are Sasol, Capital One Bank, and the SWLA Economic Development Alliance.

For more information, please contact Adrian L. Wallace at awallace@allianceswla.org or 337-433-0977 Ext. 2201.