Are you ready to start something?

All Ivy College of Business students are invited to participate in the 2025 Business Model Canvas Competition! This is a fantastic opportunity to present innovative business ideas using a concise, one-page Business Model Canvas for a chance to win cash prizes:

1st place: $1,000
2nd place: $500
3rd place: $250

Application instructions

To apply, student teams should send an email to psanch26@iastate.edu with the subject line: BMC Competition Application – [Team Name].

Please include the following in the body of the email or as attachments:

1. Team name
2. Full names and email addresses of all team members (up to 4 members per team)
3. A short summary of your business idea (3-5 sentences). Briefly explain the problem you’re solving, your proposed solution, and who your target customer is.
4. A completed Business Model Canvas, submitted as a PDF or an image (you may use the Strategyzer template below or another clear format).

Don’t worry if your idea or canvas isn’t perfect — this competition is about learning, improving, and showing how well you can think through the model.

The deadline to apply is Monday, March 31 by 11:59 p.m.

In early April, teams will be notified if they have advanced to the final presentation round, scheduled for April 10. Finalists will have five minutes to present their Business Model Canvas to a panel of judges, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session.

For more information about the competition, contact Paul Sanchez-Ruiz.

Workshop opportunity

To help students prepare, there will be a Business Model Canvas Workshop on March 27, from 3:10 – 5:00 p.m. in 2446 Gerdin Business Building. This hands-on session will guide participants in refining their ideas and creating a compelling one-page business vision board.

Resources

https://www.strategyzer.com/canvas/business-model-canvas
https://canvanizer.com/downloads/business_model_canvas_poster.pdf

Competition timeline

March 27: Business Model Canvas Workshop (3:10-5:00 p.m. in 2446 Gerdin)
March 31: Deadline to submit application (by 11:59 p.m. Central Time)
Early April: Finalists notified and schedule of presentations sent
April 10: Business Model Canvas Presentations (3:00-5:00 p.m. in 3164 Gerdin)