1. The Elevator Pitch Competition is open to all student ventures led by students currently enrolled at the University of Ottawa on a full-time or part-time basis in the current academic year.
2. The competition is not open to recent graduate students, alumni, or staff.
3. The company applying must have a minimum of 1 Co-Founder currently enrolled as a student at the University of Ottawa.
4. Past participants are eligible to participate again provided that they satisfy all eligibility requirements.
5. In order to be eligible to apply to the Validation Category, companies must not have generated any revenue, and must not have raised capital from outside investors or have been accepted into an accelerator or incubator program.
6. In order to be eligible to apply to the Traction Category, companies must have generated revenue and/or raised capital from outside investors and/or been accepted into an established incubator or accelerator program.
7. International Students are also eligible to apply permitted that they satisfy the competition requirements.
8. In the event that we deem that no submission has made substantial progress in achieving significant milestones or meeting our established criteria, we reserve the right to award no prize for that category.
9. Money awarded will be paid first to the business entity (if applicable), or in the event that no such entity exists, divided equally among the team members identified on the application form.
10. The winner of the Competition will be determined by a panel of judges; as such, all applicants acknowledge and agree to the sharing of all materials submitted with the organizers of the competition with the judges and selection committee.
11. By submitting an application, all applicants must confirm that the work presented adheres to the fraud policies as outlined in the Academic Regulations in the University’s Undergraduate Studies Calendar. http://www.uottawa.ca/academic-regulations/academic-fraud.html
12. If selected as one of the final 5 Traction, or final 5 Validation finalists, you will be required to deliver a 2 minute presentation on November 19th, 2019 at 5:30pm, which will include an additional 1 minute question and answer period. In addition, you will also be required to attend a practice session where feedback will be provided and preparedness will be determined the week preceding the competition.

Cash Prizes include:

1. Validation: First place: $3,000
2. Traction:
   1. First place: $10,000
   2. Second place; $5,000
3. People’s Choice award: $2,000

In addition, non-cash (“professional services”) prizes are valued at $15,000 and are subject to change based on things such as conflicts of interest, which can only be determined once the winners are established. These prizes could include:

1. LaBarge Weinstein is a corporate law firm that has provided legal services to thousands of new businesses over the past 20 years. They make the process of starting a new business as stress-free as possible. To help you get started on the right track, they are offering the winner of the Traction category up to 10 hours of corporate legal services.
2. Invest Ottawa delivers economic development programs and initiatives that increase entrepreneurial momentum, wealth and jobs in the City of Ottawa and its surrounding region. Invest Ottawa services include start-up incubation and mentorship, acceleration for existing companies. They are providing 6 months office space at Invest Ottawa for up to 2 founders; up to 1 day of advisory services the Traction category winner; and, free entry into IO Pre-Accelerator for the Validation category winner.
3. Logan Katz is a forward-thinking public accounting firm established in 1994, providing high-quality accounting, taxation, and business advisory services to corporations, organizations and individuals in a vast array of industries and ranging in size and footprint from international corporations, to locally owned and managed businesses, to professionals. They are offing the following for both the winner and runner up in the Traction category:
   • Initial meeting and ongoing assistance
   • Preparation of year end Notice To Reader financial statements;
   • Preparation of T2 corporate tax return
   • Owner/manager remuneration planning
   • Up to 8 hours of bookkeeping services
   • Assistance in preparation of SR&ED (scientific research and experimental development) claim (if applicable)
   • In addition, the top 3 Validation Category winners will receive an initial consultation and ongoing assistance by a partner of the firm

1. The Elevator Pitch Competition is open to all student ventures led by students currently enrolled at the University of Ottawa on a full-time or part-time basis in the current academic year.
2. The competition is not open to recent graduate students, alumni, or staff.
3. The company applying must have a minimum of 1 Co-Founder currently enrolled as a student at the University of Ottawa.
4. Past participants are eligible to participate again provided that they satisfy all eligibility requirements.
5. In order to be eligible to apply to the Validation Category, companies must not have generated any revenue, and must not have raised capital from outside investors or have been accepted into an accelerator or incubator program.
6. In order to be eligible to apply to the Traction Category, companies must have generated revenue and/or raised capital from outside investors and/or been accepted into an established incubator or accelerator program.
7. International Students are also eligible to apply permitted that they satisfy the competition requirements.
8. In the event that we deem that no submission has made substantial progress in achieving significant milestones or meeting our established criteria, we reserve the right to award no prize for that category.
9. Money awarded will be paid first to the business entity (if applicable), or in the event that no such entity exists, divided equally among the team members identified on the application form.
10. The winner of the Competition will be determined by a panel of judges; as such, all applicants acknowledge and agree to the sharing of all materials submitted with the organizers of the competition with the judges and selection committee.
11. By submitting an application, all applicants must confirm that the work presented adheres to the fraud policies as outlined in the Academic Regulations in the University’s Undergraduate Studies Calendar. http://www.uottawa.ca/academic-regulations/academic-fraud.html
12. If selected as one of the final 5 Traction, or final 5 Validation finalists, you will be required to deliver a 2 minute presentation on November 19th, 2019 at 5:30pm, which will include an additional 1 minute question and answer period. In addition, you will also be required to attend a practice session where feedback will be provided and preparedness will be determined the week preceding the competition.

Cash Prizes include:

1. Validation: First place: $3,000
2. Traction:
   1. First place: $10,000
   2. Second place; $5,000
3. People’s Choice award: $2,000

In addition, non-cash (“professional services”) prizes are valued at $15,000 and are subject to change based on things such as conflicts of interest, which can only be determined once the winners are established. These prizes could include:

1. LaBarge Weinstein is a corporate law firm that has provided legal services to thousands of new businesses over the past 20 years. They make the process of starting a new business as stress-free as possible. To help you get started on the right track, they are offering the winner of the Traction category up to 10 hours of corporate legal services.
2. Invest Ottawa delivers economic development programs and initiatives that increase entrepreneurial momentum, wealth and jobs in the City of Ottawa and its surrounding region. Invest Ottawa services include start-up incubation and mentorship, acceleration for existing companies. They are providing 6 months office space at Invest Ottawa for up to 2 founders; up to 1 day of advisory services the Traction category winner; and, free entry into IO Pre-Accelerator for the Validation category winner.
3. Logan Katz is a forward-thinking public accounting firm established in 1994, providing high-quality accounting, taxation, and business advisory services to corporations, organizations and individuals in a vast array of industries and ranging in size and footprint from international corporations, to locally owned and managed businesses, to professionals. They are offing the following for both the winner and runner up in the Traction category:
   • Initial meeting and ongoing assistance
   • Preparation of year end Notice To Reader financial statements;
   • Preparation of T2 corporate tax return
   • Owner/manager remuneration planning
   • Up to 8 hours of bookkeeping services
   • Assistance in preparation of SR&ED (scientific research and experimental development) claim (if applicable)
   • In addition, the top 3 Validation Category winners will receive an initial consultation and ongoing assistance by a partner of the firm