New Ideas for a New Carolina

The contest is designed to:

• Encourage innovation in South Carolina
• Promote Entrepreneurship and the FastTrac® business training programs
• Help residents develop their ideas into viable businesses
• Connect Entrepreneurs and innovators- building networks around the state
• Provide a forum to bring together Venture Capitalists, Banks, Businesses, Government and Education Leaders.

The New Ideas SC contest is open to anyone with a great idea however; they must be at least 18 years old and a South Carolina resident.

Through the generous donation of our Primary Sponsor SCLaunch® we are able to offer the following prizes:

• Grand Prize Winner $5000
• Category Winners $2500
• Category Runner-ups $1000

The Grand Prize Winner will also receive access to a Dream Team of advisors to help them develop their idea for one year.

All prize winners receive FREE admission to the Small Business Innovation Summit and Expo being held November 3, 2010 in Charleston, SC and a FREE scholarship to the FastTrac® business development course of their choice (go to www.FastTracSC.org for a list of programs offered).

Fill out the form located on the Compete page

We have five categories: Engineering, Information Technology, Bio-Science, Environmental Sustainability and WILDCARD (for those really out of the box ideas). For our four industry categories our judges are experts in that field and they will choose a category winner and runner-up. They will judge your ideas using a 1-10 scale (1 = low, 10 = high) for each of the following criteria.

• Viability: The entry makes a credible and believable case, is concise and easy to understand, and demonstrates relevant industry knowledge (competition, market need, pricing etc.)
• Innovation/Vision: Entry demonstrates creative thought, revolutionary or new perspective on existing markets and businesses, provides an extraordinary vision for a business in South Carolina
• Profit/Revenue Potential: It satisfies a need in a commercially significant market, demonstrates operational feasibility and/or expertise, and/or offers superior alternative to products or services currently available.

WILDCARD entries are judged a little differently...

The top 10 ideas are posted on this website after being selected by a panel of judges using the same criteria as above. You get to vote for your favorite (only one vote per day allowed). The top five are then shown to our celebrity judge and they get to pick their favorite (and they have NO criteria to follow except their own whims).

This is a public contest for South Carolina residents and the top ten ideas in each category will be part of the New Ideas SC program at the ThinkTEC Innovation and Small Business Summit on November 3, 2010. We offer NO protection for your idea beyond the dated and timed record of your submission to this contest. If you believe your idea requires protection, you may not want to enter this contest and should consult with your personal attorney about the risks of participating and if necessary, ways to insure your rights through trademarks, patents and other legal avenues.

The contest was developed to promote FastTracSC and the FastTrac® business training programs and to foster entrepreneurship throughout South Carolina. Mary Dickerson, Coordinator of the New Ideas SC contest is also the Director of FastTracSC. She works with the representatives of some of the New Ideas SC sponsor organizations to present this contest. New Ideas SC is sponsored by: SCLaunch®, ThinkTEC, New Carolina, FastTracSC, and a number of other state and local organizations with a shared vision for a brighter future for South Carolina.