ALL LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMPETITIONS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO QUALIFY AS PART OF THE YEC SERIES.
The physical location of the competition must be in Kansas. If needed, competitions may be virtual.
Student participants must reside in Kansas; exceptions require prior approval.
Competition must be open to grades 9-12 or equivalent, but can also include grades 6-8 if desired. Ex. 7-12th, 9-12th, 10th grade only, or 6-9th grades are all acceptable competition structures.
The competition must include a written Executive Summary and a Formal Presentation; additional in-person components optional: elevator pitch, tradeshow, and/or other event.
Follow the Marketing Guide listed on VentureDash. The following logos must be included: NetWork Kansas, K-State Research and Extension, and K-State Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship.
Prizes are not mandatory. Competitions offering prizes typically do not exceed a total of $3,500 in prizes, and prize structures typically do not exceed $1,500 for first place, $1,250 for second place, and $1,000 for third place. Other examples of prizes may be “People’s Choice Award” or “Banker’s Choice Award”, etc.
The competition must apply for a NetWork Kansas sanction by November 15, 2024, or before the event if held earlier.
Event must occur between August 1, 2024, and March 24, 2025.
Competition host must agree to pay a $1,500 sanction fee to NetWork Kansas; waived for E-Community organized events. This fee includes access to the VentureDash platform to host your event.
A student may compete in only one local event per 2024-2025 YEC Series and may only submit one business concept per competition.
Communities may only organize or participate in one local event per the 2024-2025 YEC Series, unless compelling reasons for more than one competition exist. Prior approval is needed.
IMPORTANT DATES
November 15, 2024 Deadline for YEC Series online sanction applications
March 24, 2025
March 24, 2025
March 24, 2025
April 17, 2025
Cut-off for sanctioned entrepreneurship competitions to be held Wildcard entries for KEC State Championship due Winners entry deadline for KEC
Communities hosting local entrepreneurship competitions can apply for a sanction to join the “Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Series,” leading to a statewide competition (KEC). To qualify and use E-Community grant funds (see p. 4), competitions must meet specific guidelines.
BENEFITS
All sanctioned events will gain access to a suite of tools and resources from NetWork Kansas and KSU, including entrepreneurship videos and a resource kit for planning and hosting a local competition, with full access to VentureDash, a digital tool for planning, organizing, and running a youth entrepreneurship competition with supplemental resources for classroom curriculum. All sanctioned events will earn one guaranteed spot at the KEC to be used by the 1st place business or a first alternate. All sanctioned event participants may also compete for up to 15 wildcard spots for KEC.
TIP: Learn more about the state championship (KEC) by visiting cba.k-state.edu/kec
E-COMMUNITIES & ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
For NetWork Kansas E-Communities with a sanctioned event, follow these additional guidelines to access E-Community grant funds (first-come, first-served basis) for event costs. Funds can cover hosting, educational materials, prizes, travel fees, and other related expenses.
1. At least one member of the local E-Community leadership team and/or financial review board must help organize and/or host the competition. This person will work with their E-Community Regional Manager to set up the event.
2. Events must take place within the geographic boundaries of an E-Community, even if participants from beyond that area are admitted.
3.
E-Communities must invite a local or regional public sector business resource partner to participate as a committee member, educational resource, mentor, and/or judge. A great recommendation to fill this role is to include the local K-State Research and Extension professional in some part of the planning process or invite them to serve as one of the roles previously mentioned. Some additional partners may include KSBDC, SCORE, Kansas Department of Commerce, Certified Development Companies, Kansas Main Street, USDA, City/County Economic Development organizations, or college/university business department instructors.
4. Establish a working group or committee as a subset of the leadership team to organize the event. The committee can include members from outside the leadership team.
5. E-Communities should include private sector business resource partners as committee members, resources, mentors, or judges such as bankers, attorneys, insurance, accountants, and entrepreneurs.
6. E-Communities connect students to mentors, which could include leadership team and/or financial review board members, resource partners, entrepreneurs, bankers, public officials, etc..
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FOR E-COMMUNITY YEC EVENTS
• $1,500 sanction application fee is waived for the 2024-2025 Series.
• Full access to VentureDash, a digital tool for planning, organizing, and running a competition with supplemental resources for classroom curriculum and event planning.
• A $250 prize sponsored by NetWork Kansas will be given to the school or classroom of the 1st place student.
• Access to additional assistance from their regional E-Community representative to plan and host the event.
• A judge will be provided for local event by NetWork Kansas, if needed.
• Access to additional grant funds* to pay for state competition travel expenses, if needed.
TIP: If you have questions about E-Community related benefits, consult your region’s assigned NetWork Kansas E-Community Regional Manager, or contact Bailee Henry at bhenry@networkkansas.com. Visit www.youtheshipchallenge.com for updates.
* E-Communities may use grant funds to pay for part or all costs incurred in hosting a youth entrepreneurship competition that meets the YEC Series qualifications. Grants are issued on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are depleted. Funds may only be issued after completing a sanction application. Exemptions to one or more requirements might be granted on a case-by-case basis. Competitions being held outside an E-Community will not be able to access E-Community grant funds or other NetWork Kansas funds to pay for the cost of hosting a competition. To discuss, email: bhenry@networkkansas.com.
SANCTION FORM GUIDE
Below are questions that will need to be addressed when filling out the sanction application on the VentureDash website. This application ensures you understand and will follow the rules for local competitions. It is required for E-Communities to use grant funds (first-come, first-serve) for event expenses. Only sanctioned events can qualify winners for the KEC State Championship.
Note: To complete the sanction application, please visit goventuredash.com/app/series/1680 Login or create an account to fill out the form.
Host First & Last Name:
Host Email Address:
Host Phone Number:
Host Organization/School:
Is there an additional organizer? If so, who and what is their email address?
Competition Name:
List the cities/counties you plan to participate in:
Estimated number of teachers involved:
Estimated number of students involved:
Grades eligible to participate (select all that apply): 6th
Event Website (if applicable):
Competition Date (must occur prior to March 24, 2025):
Competition Time:
Competition Location/Address:
How many years have you hosted a YEC event?
Which components do you plan to use?
Will you award prizes? Y/N/Undecided
List the prize amounts & source:
Would you like a NetWork Kansas staff member to judge? Y/N/If needed
Will you allow school-based businesses to compete? (meaning businesses owned & managed by the school i.e. school coffeeshop. Note: school-based businesses cannot compete at KEC.)
Will the event be open countywide? Y/N
Do you plan to utilize VentureDash for your competition? Y/N
Have you been in contact with your local K-State Research & Extension agent? Anything else to note about your competition:
LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMPETITIONS
OVERVIEW
During the 2023-2024 academic year, NetWork Kansas E-Communities and non E-Communities held 58 local-level youth entrepreneurship competitions for more than 1,150 students as part of the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) Series, culminating in a statewide championship known as the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge (KEC).
WHAT IS A LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMPETITION?
Communities host locally-organized events (at the county, city, school, or classroom level) that bring students together for the purpose of a hands-on entrepreneurship experience. Typically, local entrepreneurship competitions involve students preparing a written business plan or executive summary, a “tradeshow booth” (similar to a science fair tabletop display), and a pitch or presentation. Then, on a given day, students compete against one another in teams or individually. Students’ work is judged by local entrepreneurs, resource partners, mentors, or other adults. Most successful events are organized through a teacher or school as a classroom project or extracurricular activity, but other groups can be successful at organizing an event as well
IMPORTANT ELEMENTS
• A written executive summary
• Access to resources, like a teacher or other groups like K-State Research and Extension and 4-H
• A formal presentation, and may also include an additional oral component of some sort - pitch, interview and/or a tradeshow
• Competitive process by which students’ work is evaluated/scored
• Judges - usually members of the community
• Awards or prizes (whether it’s a 1st place certificate or a cash award; token for participation)
OTHER
• Invite other students or the community at large to visit the tradeshow
• Invite an entrepreneurship guest speaker to talk to students and/or others
• Seek business owners to mentor students
• Invite businesses to sponsor the event
HOST EXPECTATIONS
• Decide the format and other parameters of the event (who, when, where, etc.)
• Find a mentor to help and decide how much education you can do on the topic of entrepreneurship
• Create or find applicable forms (judging forms, business plan outline, etc.)
• Decide your budget and how to fund the event (Will there be lunch? Awards? Other expenses?)
• Decide how to get students to participate
• Promote the event! Invite judges, students, businesses, and others to attend
• Coordinate the event (print documents, organize schedule, find a speaker, etc.)
• Run the event on the day of (give instructions, keep schedule on time, tally scores, give awards, etc.)
• Send thank you notes and write articles for newsletters, newspapers, etc.
• Follow instructions from NetWork Kansas to coordinate participation at the state level
