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Competition Rules

Teams must comply with the following rules to be eligible for the competition:

  1. The Big Idea Competition is limited to teams that include active Bradley students or alumni as define below:
    1. Bradley University students enrolled either full-time or part-time in degree programs.
    2. Bradley University alumni who have graduated within one year of the deadline for the Screening Round.
  2. Non-students may join a team, if at least one qualifying Bradley University student or alumnus is on the team.
  3. Maximum number of team members is four.
  4. Preference is given to business ideas developed during the current school year. Ideas presented in previous competitions at Bradley may compete again only if meaningful improvements were added to the idea and the plan. The acceptance of these submissions relies solely on the discretion of the Turner School organizing committee.
  5. Working with outside entrepreneurs with existing business or business ideas is permissible, however, the Bradley University student or alumnus on the team must have played a major role in creating the idea. The Bradley student or alumnus must write the business plan if selected as a finalist.
  6. If the team has already formed a company, annual total company revenues cannot exceed $100,000 as of the date of the Screening Round.
  7. During the Innovation Expo & Elevator Pitch Round, one of the student or alumnus team members will present their business concept to the judges. The presentation is an elevator pitch of two (2) minutes in length. The team member will be given a 30 minute window during which the pitch will occur.
  8. The Big Idea Competition reserves the right to make the final determination of the appropriateness of submitted business plans. Not all prizes may be awarded depending on the quality of submissions

Confidentiality

While Big Idea Competition considers all submitted business plans as confidential and treats all team matters as such, protection of sensitive materials (e.g., intellectual property, copyright, or patents) is the sole responsibility of the competitors. Non-Disclosure Agreements will not be signed by judges, mentors, or any Bradley staff associated with the competition.

Awards and Financial Aid

Please be aware that if an award given to a Bradley student exceeds the Cost of Attendance (COA) [the estimated cost to attend Bradley University, including tuition and fees, books and supplies, living expenses, transportation costs, and miscellaneous expenses], it may cause other previously issued financial aid such as loans to be reduced. If aid is impacted by this award, distribution of the award may be delayed until the conclusion of the semester. All awards are taxable to the individual recipients.