Frequently Asked Question

1.0 What are the Key Dates?

September
Call for Event Volunteers and Organisers

December
Kick off! Networking, Planning and Organising

Early February Team Registration
In order to be registered for the ICE competition teams (2 or more people) must register on the website by early February. Registration includese team name, team mates, contact information, executive summary and 10-slide powerpoint presentation.

Mid March
Semi-Finalist teams will be announced and contacted

Mid March
A manatory I2V/ICE Bootcamp will be held for Semi-Finals and open to any other ICE participants that may have been eliminated. The Bootcamp will go over the different parts of the business plan, how to set up a start-up business and will be the first place to meet mentors for the Semi-Finalists.

First Week April is the Semi-Final Event
Semi-Finalist Teams will give a presentation to the judges

First Week April April
Finalist teams will be announced
Continue work with mentors

First Week May 1
Complete Business Plan must be submitted

Mid May 14
Finals event

Finalist present to judges for last time
Open to the Public

2.0 Is it Confidential?

Contestants may desire to keep their executive summaries confidential. All judges and organizers will be under an obligation to protect and safeguard those documents labeled CONFIDENTIAL by contestants.

The first round of judging will be done privately, with the judges under a verbal non-disclosure agreement.

The final presentations on will be open to the public; therefore, contestants are advised not to disclose any proprietary information in the judging rounds.

The policy for protecting confidential information will be posted on the MITEF Ignite Clean Energy website and emailed to all registered contestants before the Kick-off event.

The confidentiality provisions will extend six-months after the public announcement of the winners on.

The MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge, the sponsors, judges, and organizers will not take further responsibility to protect CONFIDENTIAL information or the intellectual property rights of the contestants.

3.0 Should I also enter another competition? Should I enter more than one competition?

Absolutely!

Most competitions will require at minimum a three to five page executive summary and a ten-minute investor pitch. Use the ICE experience to refine your pitch and improve your chances in any competition, whether hosted like this one or in the real world of investment. Our events are free and our training is excellent, so you have nothing to lose and much to gain by entering ICE in addition to other competitions.

4.0 Why Become a Contestant

Why not?!

The primary benefits you can expect from the ICE Competition are: to
improve your ability to pitch your business to investors and others; to
benefit from being mentored by experienced and successful entrepreneurs
and others; to network with industry pros; to get visibility and
publicity for your company and yourself; and to win one of the prizes.

5.0 What do Past Contestants Say about the Competition?

"If you can put together a coherent business plan, and keep your composure in front of an audience of hundreds, then you have a good chance at a 'payoff' in real hard cash. (only slightly joking). But the real 'payoff' - what makes ICE worthwhile - is the opportunity to network with highly qualified, like-minded people. It's a good stepping stone for a young company, and a great development experience."

Abe Schneider, NATEL
--ICE 2006, Third Place Pro

5.1. General comments by contestants

"It is gratifying to have a team of industry experts confirm that you are on the right track. The prizes, including the cash award, the office space, and legal services, have been a great help getting us established. As nice as it is to have a place to call home, the greatest benefit we've received has been the broad media exposure.

Since winning the 2006 Ignite Clean Energy Competition, we have received numerous inquiries from potential investors, not only venture capitalists but international strategic industry participants as well. It is our expectation that we will be closing on funding before long. The press exposure has also generated product availability inquiries from around the globe, from such far-flung places as New Zealand, Greece, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia and more."

Jim Paull, Stellaris
ICE 2006, Grand Prize Winner

"How important was the Ignite Clean Energy Competition to me? I'm starting a regional business plan competition with the same model in the Mid-Atlantic (open to all technology businesses) because I thought it was such a great experience."

Jacob Silber
ICE 2006, Team Salvient
Chair, MITEF DC/Baltimore -
Mid-Atlantic Business Plan Competition
www.midatlanticbpc.org

"We have 17 orders, worth $3.5 million, and another $20 M in discussion. Because of the ICE competition, we were invited to participate in the Dow Jones Emerging Ventures Conference in Santa Clara, CA, 10/2006. They told us that they consulted the ICE winners list to decide who to invite.
We've also found that when folks search Google we're pretty high up because of the coverage we've received from ICE. It helps with our internet presence."

Quincy Vale, Powerhouse Enterprises
ICE 2005, Cummings Prize Winner

5.2. How has your participation in the ICE competition helped you and your clean-energy business?

"ICE has helped our team has become much more business-focused. Far from a buzzword, this means that through our experience, we have evolved our business plan presentation from one that represented the a vision of the future, to one that convincingly lays out how we're going to get there. We are now better able to attract and hold the attention of potential investors."

Abe Schneider, NATEL
ICE 2006, Third Place Pro

5.3. Please cite specific skills you've improved, contacts made, funds and awards received.


"Our team significantly improved the quality of our presentation (including the content, the visual design, and the delivery). We have met dozens of valuable contacts, and the prize money (3rd place) has been useful."
Abe Schneider, NATEL
ICE 2006, Third Place Pro

5.4. Why should others take the time to enter the ICE competition? What payoffs can they expect?

"If you can put together a coherent business plan, and keep your composure in front of an audience of hundreds, then you have a good chance at a 'payoff' in real hard cash. (only slightly joking). But the real 'payoff' - what makes ICE worthwhile - is the opportunity to network with highly qualified, like-minded people. It's a good stepping stone for a young company, and a great development experience."
Abe Schneider, NATEL
ICE 2006, Third Place Pro

5.5. How does participating in the ICE competition fit in to a start-up's plans to grow their company?

"ICE provides a unique opportunity to convey your fine-tuned message to a select, elite, and motivated group of potential investors, clients, employees, advisors, and other industry contacts. The ICE audience is truly one of the best around - just go to some other clean energy events and you will notice how educated, dedicated, and motivated this group of people really is. ICE can be a stepping stone to future business growth opportunity - exactly what a start up needs."

Abe Schneider, NATEL
ICE 2006, Third Place Pro

5.6. What progress has your business made since the competition? Would you credit any of that progress to the Competition?

"Due in part to our involvement with ICE, our team has expanded our network of potential investors and clients."

Abe Schneider, NATEL
ICE 2006, Third Place Pro