Are you ready to win?
Now's the time to put your best foot forward and see if you have what it takes to bring home a game-changing prize package for your business.
Here’s how it works:
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Submit Your Business Plan Online
Entrepreneurs must complete the entry form and submit a business plan by 12:00 PM noon CST on June 7, 2024. Submit your entry here.
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Committee Selects Finalists
An independent selection committee with business expertise will review the submissions and choose three finalists that will be selected to “pitch” their business to a panel of judges. All three finalists will receive a cash prize of at least $5,000.
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Finalists Pitch for a Chance to Win
Finalists will pitch their businesses to a panel of judges in a TED Talks-style presentation format. The live public event will take place on August 1, 2024. Prize packages in the past have totaled over $100K.
Who can enter the contest?
The Startup St. Bernard Challenge is open to any business that will:
locate their base of operations to St. Bernard Parish for at least 2 years,
improve St. Bernard Parish, and
actively participate in the St. Bernard Parish entrepreneur ecosystem.
To qualify, entrants must:
be in business for five years or less or be an existing business creating a new division or entity,
have yearly revenue under $1,000,000, and
have five employees or less.
The “Shark Tank” style public event is open to any business that meets the entry criteria and is passionate about joining St. Bernard Parish’s growing business community.
Past Startup St. Bernard cash winners and nonprofit organizations are not eligible to enter.
How is the winner selected?
Judges will score entries based on the quality of the business plans and how the startups will improve St. Bernard by:
creating jobs
investing capital into the parish
providing needed products or services to the region,
and/or contributing to the growth of the core Startup St. Bernard sectors: creative digital media, cultural arts/cultural economy, health and wellness, advanced manufacturing/value-added manufacturing, logistics, and the seafood industry.
Previous winners include 40 Arpent Brewing Company, Christie’s Dreams Seafood, Reactive Digital Systems, LLC, Clean Course Meals, Schmelly's Dirt Farm, CORE Louisiana Counseling & Recovery Center, Glass Half Full, Ceres Plant Protein Cereal, and The Safety Pouch.
What can I win?
The three finalists will each win a cash prize of at least $5,000. Previous winners have received prize packages valued at over $100,000. Prize packages and sponsorship vary each year.
But we always have the largest prize package given out to a single winner at any pitch competition in the Gulf South!
~$50,000
Startup Funding
~$50,000
In-Kind Donations
Example Winner Prize Package
$53,750 in Startup Funding:
$25,000 donated by the Meraux Foundation
$5,000 donated by Park Investments, Ltd.
$2,500 donated by Palms Truck Stop
$2,500 donated by Sidney Torres, III
$2,500 donated by Valero Meraux Refinery
$1,500 donated by Greater New Orleans Foundation
$1,000 donated by Mrs. Rita Gue
$1,000 donated by Mr. Floyd Gue
$1,000 donated by Nunez Community College Foundation
$1,000 donated by CORE: Louisiana Counseling & Recovery Center
$1,000 donated by Joey Nieto | Financial Advisor, Edward Jones
$1,000 donated by Frederick J. Sigur Investment Company
$1,000 donated by The Ranch Studios
$1,000 donated by Sherman Strategies
$500 donated by Southern Insurance Agency LLC
$500 donated by Senator Sharon Hewitt
$500 donated by St. Bernard Tourist Commission
$250 donated by St. Bernard Parish Assessor
$47,390 in In-Kind Services:
Office space at the Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company | Valued at $10,000
Post-production of the event and marketing services by St. Bernard Parish Government | $7,500
Marketing Consulting by Ragusa Consulting | Valued at $5,000
Legal services by Sherman Strategies, LLC | Valued at $5,000
Legal services by Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer, LLC | Valued at $5,000
Accounting services by Bernard Franks: A Corporation of Certified Accountants | Valued at $4,500
3 months of 1/4th page ads by Biz New Orleans | $3,585
Corporate identity design services by evanschmidt design | Valued at $2,500
Copywriting by Shine Productions | Valued at $2,500
Digital billboard spot on Judge Perez for one month by Outfront Media | Valued at $2,500
Advertising in St. Bernard newspapers by Meraux Foundation | Valued at $1,500
St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce membership benefits | Valued at $805
Promotion & Advertisement by St. Bernard Tourist Commission | Valued at $1000
Brand starter kit printing services by Ditto's | Valued at $1,000
St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce membership benefits | Valued at $805
2024 Applications Open Soon!
