The ICT Business Plan Competition Process

To gain an overview of the ICT Business Plan Competition Process--how it will be conducted, who it will be aimed at, and how many phases it will involve - read on...

Our Vision

The YES Fund - a global fund for youth entrepreneurship - was launched by the Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign funded by Microsoft at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in September 2006, with the aim of building a coalition of partners all over the world to work on 'creating markets and unleashing entrepreneurship'.

About the Business Plan Competition

The YES Fund proposes to organize a Global Business Plan Competition for potential young entrepreneurs in the age group of 18–35 years. The first pilot competition will be open to young entrepreneurs in India and Kenya. The business plan proposals should pertain to the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

The YES Fund, New Delhi, will be the source of all communications and information for the ICT Business Plan Competition, and will include all YES Networks in the ICT Business Plan Competition. The competition guidelines, assessment criteria, and selection criteria for business plans will be the same for all participants.

1. Who can apply?

The YES Fund Challenge will be open to established as well as start-up businesses. An established business is one, which has generated sales over the past year and focuses on the expansion or diversification of its business. A start-up business is one, which has not generated sales yet and focuses on creating a new business.

2. What are the Requirements for the Business Plan?

The business plans should be for the ICT sector. The plan should seek to generate profit within three years. The proposed business should require a start-up investment of $3,000-$10,000 over a span of two years. The plan could be excluded from the competition if it relates to any of the exclusions listed in the IFC Environmental and Social Exclusion List.

All plans should be submitted through e-mail and should be written in English.

The YES Fund Business Plan Competition will consist of two phases. In Phase I, the business proposals submitted before the Phase I deadline will be subjected to pre-screening, based on the prescribed criteria. The business proposals of participants who pass the pre-screening will then be screened and assessed by three screeners.

Only those participants whose business proposals meet the minimum quality requirements in Phase I will be eligible to submit a full business plan for Phase II. The entrepreneurs submitting the best-rated business proposals will be assigned a coach to help them present a complete and viable business plan. After the Phase II deadline, screeners will again rate the business plans. A jury, who will then select the final award winners, will assess the best plans.