mansoor

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It seems like everywhere you look, there’s a new business plan competition going on. While not many businesses sprout up immediately, they do sprout up new idea’s which would make it more likely for the idea owners to pursue a little later down the road.

This latest competition is being held under the auspices of Ministry of Youth Affairs, in collaboration with islamabad Chamber of Commerce and industry.

To be eligible, you need to be between 15-29 years of age and a citizen of Pakistan either individually or as a team. It has to be original and ensure there are no IP violations by submitting an affidavit to this effect.

Prize money for top 10 proposals are Rs. 50,000 each alongwith a certificate.

Deadline is 29-08-2008 and guidelines can be downloaded from www.moya.gov.pk. You can submit your proposal electronically at soic@moya.gov.pk and submit 5 hard copies and a CD physically to the ministry. Contact person is Ms. Rabia Muzaffar, Research Officer, Ministry of Youth Affairs at 051-9213106.

11 additional thoughts for this post.

  1. Corona Said:

    very nice :)

  2. Osama A. Said:

    Wheee - Rs.50k - thats the right step towards empowering them to start businesses. 50k and a certificate, woo hoo

  3. matsonian Said:

    Business plan competitions are great. We at QuickPlanner Plus will give a free copy of our strategic business planning software to anyone entering a competition. All they have to do is ask.

  4. ujmi Said:

    oh! So what will we do with 50k? Hmmm ok I want a Canon eos 450d :P

    Btw should try!

  5. mansoor Said:

    ujmi & osama: its a start. this competition is for ‘business plans’ not for setting up businesses. if an idea is good enough and if the idea owners can sell it, then investment will find its own way no?

    my POV (and feel free to disagree, i know u want to ;)) is that the act of writing a business plan will act as a catalyst to generate growth sometime in the future. think of this competition as sowing the seeds. you wont see immediate benefits (two-ten companies sprouting up based on winning BPs) but the people who wrote them might set up the same within 5 or even 10 years down the road.

  6. H Said:

    asking matsonian how can i get the software??? i m planning to compete with few of my ideas

  7. Kamran Said:

    My argument is that, these Competitions come with a bang and then you kind of don’t hear of them again. They go dormant and then near the deadlines, wake up again, have a ceremony at a 5 Star Hotel, then zzzzzzz. If the do keep on working, then its at a very low level and are not usually visible on the screen.

    Why not, combine / work together and have sustainable initiatives.

    Would people be willing to collaborate together on generating a list of ALL these Competitions. Right now, I know of the following:

    a. TIE (www.businessplan.pk)
    b. MITCEF (www.mitcef-pakistan.org)

    c. Shell Tameer Program (www.tameer.org.pk). This used to be a certificate giving program, now no idea.

    d. Citi Bank used to have a Certificate & Reward Program. (http://www.citibank.com/pakistan/corporate/csr/microentre.htm)

  8. Kamran Said:

    Forget to mention that Agribusiness Support Fund (www.asf.org.pk) can provide matching grants for existing & potential entrepreneurs / consultants to create business plans / capacity building. These grants must be used for mentoring inputs from experts.

  9. ujmi Said:

    mansoor. Well don’t want to criticize as such (honestly!) but yes I am curious who will be my business plan’s judge there? And above all what will happen with my business plan?

    These are somethings one sort of get weary around when business idea is a very important thing!

    And still honestly speaking even 50k from a Govt body for a business plan is outrageously low! Doesn’t Govt know about the inflation?

  10. Muhammad Omer Nasir Said:

    Awesome!!!

    Business Idea Competition will be the great opportunity to present project idea with business plan and raise funding for it…

    Best of luck for participants.

  11. matsonian Said:

    As a follow up… if you want a copy of QuickPlanner Plus… just email me at matson @ quickplannerplus.com

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