Share your ideas. Share your talents. Give a pitch or listen to others and connect with fellow students interested in Innovation Challenge. PITCH EVENT WITH PIZZA AND PRIZES JANUARY 16 TH 6 P.M. Harry D. McGovern Alumni Center FREE TO ALL NDSU STUDENTS RSVP for Innovation Pitch Event www.ndsuresearchpark.com, Innovation Challenge tab. Chance to win electronic tablets
ABOUT INNOVATION CHALLENGE The 9th annual Innovation Challenge is conducted by the NDSU Research & Technology Park, the NDSU Office of the Provost and approximately 40 local businesses. The challenge encourages students to be innovative, to enhance student awareness that innovation is a precursor to entrepreneurship and to engage students with local entrepreneurs and businesses. Innovation Challenge consists of a series of presentations from January to April along with the Innovation Challenge competition. Innovation Challenge competition is for student teams competing for $21,000 in cash and prizes in three tracks: ABOUT INNOVATION PITCH NIGHT The objective is to have FUN and inspire students to pitch their innovative ideas and form teams for Innovation Challenge. Innovation Pitch is for NDSU students. Individuals who pitch an idea will receive a special T-shirt. Innovation Pitch attendees will vote on the top three innovative ideas that night. The winners will receive an electronic tablet. * Products of any kind * Services of any kind * Social impact Three rounds of judging by an independent panel of judges include: * Innovation Summary (January) * Visual Presentation (March) * Oral Presentation (April) The winners of each track may be eligible to pitch their ideas at 1 Million Cups Fargo. For more information on Innovation Challenge, go to the Innovation Challenge tab at www.ndsuresearchpark.com.
Welcome to Innovation Challenge The 9th annual Innovation Challenge is sponsored by the NDSU Research and Technology Park in partnership with the NDSU Office of the Provost, to showcase NDSU students innovative ideas and entrepreneurial skills. A total of $21,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to students with the most innovative ideas. The best ideas in each track could be worth $500 (third place), $1,000 (second place), $5,000 (first place) in cash and prizes and could set you on the path to entrepreneurial success. The purpose of Innovation Challenge is to encourage students to be innovative thinkers, enhance their entrepreneurial awareness, empower them to pursue entrepreneurial careers, expand their access to resources available for innovators and entrepreneurs, and to engage with entrepreneurs and business leaders in our communities. Innovations come in all shapes and sizes. We encourage students to bring their best ideas across multiple disciplines. Innovation Challenge offers three innovation tracks: Products, Services and Social Innovations. Advance your idea through three rounds of competition and find out if you have what it takes to win the big prize: The Innovation Proposal is your first chance to clearly tell what your innovation is and how it is unique. It should describe the impact on the world or industry. During the Semi-final Presentation and Progress Review your team will give a visual presentation to show your idea s viability and progress, and get oral feedback from the judges. At the Final Presentation your team will give a short, complete presentation. The best ideas will be rewarded with cash, prizes and recognition for outstanding innovation. If you re not sure about your idea or don t know how to form a team, you have two opportunities to test your concept. Bison Brainstorm is a fun and exciting night planned by students for students to brainstorm and develop ideas. Test your ideas with other students and use the evening to meet people to form teams. Pitch Night gives you the opportunity to present your idea to other students and business leaders in 60 seconds or less. Give a pitch and you ll be eligible to win one of three tablet computers. Attendees will vote on the winners. Plus, enjoy free pizza. Once enrolled in Innovation Challenge, attend the Innovation Boot Camp sessions. Learn from Jeff Stamp, Ph.D., a well-known instructor and internationally recognized entrepreneur, as he teaches you how to move your innovation to reality and share your concepts with investors and evangelists. The competition is open to all NDSU undergraduate and graduate students. Registration for Innovation Challenge is open until January 23, 2018. See the calendar for upcoming events and deadlines. Winners will be announced in April 2018. If you have questions about Innovation Challenge, contact the NDSU Research and Technology Park at 701-499-3600, email emily@ndsuresearchpark.com or visit www.ndsuresearchpark.com/innovationchallnge.
Innovation Challenge Elements BISON BRAINSTORM January 11, 2018 INNOVATION PITCH NIGHT January 16, 2018-60 seconds, no visuals INNOVATION BOOT CAMPS Jan. 24, Feb. 21, Mar. 22 INNOVATION PROPOSAL (REQUIRED) Due January 26, 2018 DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS (REQUIRED) Jan. 29 - Feb. 9, Mar. 5-9, Mar. 26-29 1-hour session per stage SEMI-FINALS (REQUIRED) March 21, 2018 5-10 minutes, judges, visuals PROJECT SHOWCASE (REQUIRED) March 21, 2018 Evening FINAL PRESENTATIONS (REQUIRED) April 5, 2018 10-minute presentation, 5 minutes for questions AWARDS CEREMONY April 17, 2018 ONE MILLION CUPS PRESENTATIONS Select Wednesdays Not sure how to get started with your idea? Meet with other students to brainstorm and develop your idea and meet people to form teams. You catch an investor or customer for 60 seconds, and you have to sell them on your idea. Make them ask you a question. Wow them! Innovation Pitch Night is open to all students and will include free pizza and chances to win tablet computers. Note: Innovation Challenge registration ends January 23 rd, 2018 Kickstart your innovation engine by attending Innovation Boot Camps, led by Jeffery Stamp, Ph.D., founder and chief storyteller at Bold Thinking LLC. Discover how you can identify ideas with true promise and bring them through the innovation process to their fullest realization. A written description of the proposed innovation must clearly tell what the innovation is and how it is unique. It should describe the impact on the world or industry. After reading, can a judge or customer define your innovation? During each stage of competition teams will be required to meet with the Research and Technology Park personnel to discuss project development, current stage, sustainability and practicality of project. The team captain will be required to schedule the meeting and ensure that the team is present for each meeting. A midway point through the innovation process where teams have to use visual aids (which can include prototypes, mock-ups, videos, screen shots, slides, working demos, posters, etc.) to show their progress and to get oral feedback from the judges. Must show progress made and steps still to be completed. All the semi-finalists presentations are showcased. Program sponsors, faculty, business leaders and students are invited to see the innovations firsthand. This is an exciting evening for students to show their project to the community and practice their pitch while networking with community leaders interested in student innovation. Final presentation of the project visual/oral presentation, summary of innovation and impact of your innovation on its intended industry or target. Competition winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony luncheon attended by innovation leaders throughout the community. Representatives from each winning team will be required to attend the awards presentation. Winning teams will be invited to present their innovations at a One Million Cups presentation, increasing exposure to potential investors and collaborators.
Three Innovation Challenge Tracks Innovations come in all shapes and sizes. We encourage students to bring their best ideas across multiple disciplines. Innovation Challenge offers three innovation tracks: Product Innovations Any product that has never been seen before or offers an innovative feature, improvement or advantage. Examples include building a better mousetrap or steering system, identifying a new chemical composition or inventing a new fabric. Social Innovations Any innovation designed to improve the public good where it is primarily motivated by social impact. Examples include innovative improvements in education, environment, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation and public health. Service Innovations Any innovative service improvement that increases efficiency or results in a distinctly better outcome. Examples include a new way to teach language, a circuit board manufacturing process, process improvements for making ethanol or predicting the stock market. Which track is right for you? Is your innovation primarily to benefit the world and less about earning a profit? NO Is your innovation focused on the creation and sale of new products? NO YES YES Social Impact Track Product Track Service Track If you re having trouble deciding which track your innovation fits best, contact us at 701-499-3600 or email emily@ndsuresearchpark.com. We are happy to help you get going in the right direction. The Innovation Challenge Committee and judges reserve the option of reassigning an entry to a different track in the interests of even competition.
Competition Format In Innovation Challenge, separate and distinct meanings are attached to the terms innovation, invention and entrepreneurship. - An innovation is a definable article (good or service, tangible or intangible, or both) that is new and progressive. It can be inventive or entrepreneurial. The progressive part means that Innovation Challenge seeks innovations that have impact. - An invention is a new good or process that does or might fulfill the patenting criteria new, useful, novel and non-obvious. - Entrepreneurship is the process of creating value by bringing together a unique set of resources to pursue a market opportunity. Innovation Challenge is an innovation competition. Entrants will be responsible for defining and explaining what is new and progressive about their innovation. While some of the best innovative ideas can involve entirely new ways of looking at a problem and defining a solution, it should also be noted that these projects should contain a healthy dose of reality, and can actually be accomplished or implemented in the world we live in. Three Required Innovation Challenge Stages Innovation Challenge has three required stages: the initial Innovation Proposal; the semi-final Innovation Presentation/Progress Review and the Final Presentation. At each stage, judges will select which innovation ideas will move on to the next round, with the winners being announced at the final awards ceremony. These guidelines will ensure you have the best chance of advancing your idea through each stage and into the winners circle. 1. Innovation Proposal All initial entries will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges, based on content of a written innovation proposal. Proposals must be submitted via www.ndsuresearchpark.com/ innovationchallenge by 5 p.m., Friday, January 26, 2018. A slate of semi-finalists will be selected to move on to the semi-final presentation/progress review competition by February 2018. Entrants should carefully and clearly discuss each of the judging criteria in their innovation proposal. Specific rules for the innovation proposals are: Cover page: one page, include entry title, names of team members, name of adviser(s) Identification of track (products, services or social innovation) Body of proposal: two pages maximum Single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font One-inch margins all around APA Style Reference page(s) PDF format Separate headings for: innovation definition, impact and path to implementation
2. Semi-final Presentation/Progress Review The semi-final presentation/progress review will be on Wednesday, March. 21, 2018. One or more members of the innovation team must be present at the semi-final presentation/progress review judging. During this time, entrants should be prepared to discuss their innovation with judges. A slate of finalists will be selected to move on to the final presentation competition April 5, 2017. The semi-final presentation/progress review is an interaction between the teams and judges midway through the Innovation Challenge where teams will use visual aids to show their progress toward their final presentations. Students may choose the visual medium that best fits their topic. Examples of visual aids may include prototypes/demonstrations, mock-ups, screenshots, slide show, video presentation, poster or trade show-type booth. Students may use a combination of these methods. Specific rules for the semi-final presentation/progress review are: Prototypes, media, posters and brochures can be displayed during this round and must be contained within the dimensions of a 3 x 5 area. Video/slide show may not exceed two minutes in length to be followed by a five to ten minute interactive session led by the judge(s). If video or slides are used, a large laptop or monitor is preferred. All material used for the visual presentation/progress review must be submitted to the Innovation Committee the day of the competition in the Memorial Union Great Plains Ballroom. 3. Final Presentations Final presentations of Innovation Challenge are set for Thursday, April 5, 2018, in the Memorial Union. At least one member of the innovation team will present an oral and visual summary to an audience comprised of competition judges and general attendees. Presentations must be submitted to Emily Schubert, Communication and Program Coordinator on a USB flash drive before noon on Monday, April 2, 2018. Presentations will be no more than 10 minutes in duration. Each presenter should be prepared to answer questions from judges after the presentation. You will have five minutes for Q and A.
The Entrepreneur Proving Ground Boot Camps It starts with an idea. Then, it takes vision for entrepreneurs to create new ventures to share their ideas. Whether the new venture has an economic or social aim, it needs to be viable. That s the role of the Proving Ground a place where ideas are tested and the first steps taken for a dream to become a valuable reality. Jeffrey Stamp, Ph.D., a scientist and educator who created the Baked Lays TM Potato Crisps, will lead the Proving Ground. He ll share his thrilling story as a serial entrepreneur of nine start-up ventures. Bring your ideas to the Proving Ground. Hear from an expert and learn what it takes to turn your concept into a winning entry in this year s Innovation Challenge. Boot Camp #1: After The Big Aha! What Ideas Need To Survive. After the dust settles from brainstorming, it s time to convert your eureka moment into a cohesive, understandable venture concept. In this boot camp you will learn what ideas need to survive. Using the 5 Laws of Opportunities, you will see ideas need to be experienced not only as an innovative approach to solving a problem, but also as an opportunity for others to gain a benefit that improves their lives. This boot camp will help you prepare a competent proposal for the round 1 judging deadline. Boot Camp #2: Designing The Future. How To Leverage Your Innovation Vision. The next step in your innovation journey is to demonstrate that your idea also contains an innovation vision that can impact lives. In this boot camp you will learn design thinking skills that will help you leverage the impact you wish to make with your idea. Putting together a path from prototype to implementation to market launch brings credibility to your efforts. This boot camp will help you prepare a visual display project showcase that will be noticed by judges. Boot Camp #3: Pitch Like a Pro. How To Get People To Back Your Vision. Now that your vision is starting to take shape, key skills need to be developed in the not-so-subtle art of the pitch. Without a cohesive and compelling pitch of how you will bring your ideas to the real world, your vision will dissipate. In this boot camp you will learn keys to pitching like a pro and practice in front of former judges to get ready for the final oral presentation round of the Innovation Challenge. NOTE: While entrants are not required to attend boot camps, they will be responsible for all boot camp information. There is a high correlation between past winners and their participation in boot camps.
Eligibility and Registration 1. All NDSU undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a degree program are eligible to compete. Innovative projects may be part of a course, a recognized extracurricular group or an independent activity. 2. Entries must be submitted via the Innovation Challenge website at www.ndsuresearchpark.com/innovationchallenge before 5 p.m. on Friday, January 26, 2018. 3. All Innovation Challenge competition teams are encouraged to seek a faculty adviser. Other staff and external advisers are permitted, but not as active team members. 4. Entries require the following information on the online registration form: Name of the innovation team Student data Identification of the student team leader Identification of track (product innovation, service innovation or social innovation) Up to a 250-word abstract of the innovative work being done Adviser information (name, title, contact information) Abstracts need to be uploaded as indicated on the registration form 5. A media release form needs to be completed by all students participating in the competition and submitted with the registration. 6. The Innovation Committee reserves the right to change the rules at any time and will notify participants via www.ndsuresearchpark.com/innovationchallenge of any changes.
INNOVATION PROPOSAL GUIDELINES The innovation proposal is a written description of the proposed innovation. The innovation proposal should clearly state what the innovation is and describe its advantages and features (what makes it innovative). The innovation proposal should describe how the team will go about completing the Innovation Challenge entry. (What areas will be investigated? Will prototypes or demonstrations be used? What are the steps needed to prepare for the challenge?) The innovation proposal should describe the impact that the innovation will have on the team, industry or world, if successfully implemented. (Stated simply, why should we care about the innovation, or what will it mean if the innovation is successful?) In addition to the general comments above, the innovation proposal must meet the following minimum criteria: A required cover page, including (at a minimum): title of innovation, names of team members, name of adviser(s), and identification of track (products, services or social impact). Page limits: Body of proposal (two pages maximum) Cover page (required, one page maximum, must be separate from body) References (APA style, no page limit) Use separate headings to explicitly call out important things such as your innovation definition, impact, path to implementation, etc. Single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman for body of proposal and references One-inch margins all around Required reference page - APA Style Submitted in pdf format
INNOVATION PROPOSAL JUDGING CRITERIA Team name Judge Track: Products Services Social impact PREQUALIFICATION 1. Were all innovation proposal guidelines met? If all YES answers, the proposal can move to competition (PASS versus FAIL). a. Required cover page with required content? NO YES b. Page limits met (two or fewer for body, one cover page)? NO YES c. Single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman? NO YES d. One-inch margins? NO YES e. PDF format? NO YES f. References, APA formatting NO YES FAIL PASS JUDGING CRITERIA 2. Was the innovation clearly defined? NO YES 3. Do you see something truly innovative about the proposal? NO YES 4. Does the innovation seem realistic? Can it be achieved? NO YES 5. Is it worth doing? Are the rewards worth the challenges? NO YES 6. Were the steps needed to implement the innovation described? NO YES 7. Was the impact clearly defined? NO YES Number of yes checks JUDGES DISCUSSION After the judge s review, each judge may assign a number between 1 and 10 representing a wow factor to help decide the proposals that move on. Things that will increase the wow factor number are whether the proposal grabbed your attention, the level of the innovation (moderately innovative versus game-changing, for example), the quality of the proposed approach, etc. Unimpressive Impressive Very impressive
SEMIFINAL PRESENTATION GUIDELINES The semifinal presentation review is midway through the Innovation Challenge where each team will use visual aids to show their progress toward the final presentation. The semifinal presentation review also is a time for the team to get constructive feedback from the judges on their efforts to help prepare them for the final presentation, should they be selected as a finalist, or for their own use, should they choose to take the project forward on their own. Feedback will be given orally by the judges after the judging has been completed. The format of the semifinal presentation review will be a 5-10 minute interactive session led by the judge or judges. The team will be prepared to concisely describe their innovation using visual aids they have prepared, as well as answer any questions the judges may ask regarding the project. When the judge is satisfied they have enough information, they will end the judging session and then give suggestions and constructive feedback to the team members. This information will be provided orally by the judge(s), with the intent of helping the team pursue their innovation. There are no required types of visual aids, and teams may choose from the suggested types of visual aids below. Teams will not be judged on the type of visual aid they use, only on the use of the aids to demonstrate their project. Teams should choose the type of visual aids that will best demonstrate their innovation. Types of visual aids may include: Posters not to exceed 36 x 48 in size Slides or videos not to exceed two minutes in length Working demonstrations Mock-ups Screenshots Functioning prototypes The entire semifinal presentation review layout must fit within a 3 x 5 display area
SEMIFINAL JUDGING CRITERIA Team name Judge Track: Products Services Social Impact 1. Has the team spent time/resources (level of effort) on the project and made appropriate progress toward the final presentation? Little Some work Work Clear Very good, done done needed progress complete 2. How innovative does the project seem to you? Not novel A little different Somewhat unique Unique Game-changing 3. How well did the team members answer your questions? Not Seemed Answered Answered Answered at all uncertain some questions most questions all questions 4. How appropriate were the visual aids? How well were they used? Inadequate Somewhat Adequate Good Impressive 5. Did the team outline the steps needed to complete? No Somewhat Adequate Good Well thought out JUDGES DISCUSSION The judges after discussing each innovation and their expertise in the innovation area may assign a number between 1 and 10 representing a wow factor to help choose between competing proposals. The judges will consider prior scores as well as items that may increase the wow factor number such as whether the proposal grabbed their attention, the level of the innovation (moderately innovative versus game-changing, for example), the quality of the proposed approach, etc. Unimpressive Impressive Very impressive TOTAL SCORE
FINAL PRESENTATION GUIDELINES The final presentation is the culmination of the team s Innovation Challenge project. The final presentation should meet the following guidelines: It should summarize the project, concentrating on the innovation and the impact it has. The impact does not have to affect the most people. When describing the impact, describe who is being impacted (the target audience or customers for the innovation), what the impact is (revenue/profits, social change, better choices, addresses a major world problem, better education, doing something previously impossible, saving lives, etc.), and explain why the impact is good or necessary. Be no more than 10 minutes in length, followed by five minutes of questions by the judges. It should give enough technical detail to show the innovation is feasible and that the project has been well thought out. Keep in mind, however, that the audience may not have the same background as you and explanations should not require that they do. It should describe the level of student contribution, and list and give credit to anyone outside the team who provided support or assistance. The final presentation should outline any steps required to move the project forward after the Innovation Challenge. The team is not required to move beyond the Innovation Challenge, but team members should be prepared to discuss the what s next of the project as if they were asked.
FINAL PRESENTATION JUDGING CRITERIA Team name Judge Track: Products Services Social Impact 1. Has the team adequately described their Innovation? No Not clearly Adequately Very well Excellent 2. Is the project, as described in the final presentation, truly innovative? No Innovative Truly innovative 3. Has the team made clear how their innovation will impact them, others, the nation, the industry, the world? No Somewhat Mostly clear Clear impact Clear and obvious 4. Is the impact significant? ( Bigger does not necessarily mean better for impact.) Not really Yes, moderate impact Yes, significant impact 5. Has the team outlined the steps required to move beyond the Innovation Challenge? No plan Partial plan Clear plan 6. How is the overall quality of the presentation? Poor Adequate Outstanding 7. Has the team answered the judges questions well? Limited answer Answered most Excellent answers JUDGES DISCUSSION The judges after discussing each innovation and their expertise in the innovation area may assign a number between 1 and 10 representing a wow factor to help choose between competing proposals. The judges will consider prior scores as well as items that may increase the wow factor number such as whether the proposal grabbed their attention, the level of the innovation (moderately innovative versus game-changing, etc.), the quality of the proposed approach, etc. Unimpressive Impressive Very impressive TOTAL SCORE
Judging Criteria The judging criteria are 1) Defining the Innovation, 2) Impact and 3) Path to Implementation. The primary assessments for all four categories will be content and presentation. Be sure the proposed innovation, visual presentation/progress review and oral presentation depict the work of the innovation team clearly. The Innovation Challenge audience and judges should be able to easily grasp your ideas. Each method of communication should be entirely self-contained. Also, throughout the judging, factors of originality, creativity and skillful presentation will be considered. Presentations are expected to be delivered in a professional manner: attire, speaking skills, illustrations (visual presentations) and demeanor. An independent panel of judges drawn from the innovative and inventive community will judge the proposed innovations, semifinals and final presentations. All judges will be external to NDSU and their decisions are final. 1. DEFINING THE INNOVATION Competitors will describe the purpose of their work and specific innovation goals in clear, easily understandable language. Each team is responsible for identifying and explaining what is innovative about their entry. Examples of factors that could be used to explain purpose and goals include: Solving a particular socioeconomic problem for a large population or a specific group. Improving a particular service for a specific market. Addressing a recognized need of a specific group of people. Improving the quality of life for a defined segment of the population. Competing teams will then define the innovation: What good, service or opportunity is being defined or developed? What goals are to be accomplished? What is new and progressive about the innovative good or service? What is the level of student innovation? Whose idea? Who drives the development of the idea? What resources do you have access to in developing the idea? Output goods and/or services might be defined as: A novel device for combating air pollution A new and more effective method for teaching English A procedure for improving the delivery of a specific element of health care Lower cost processes for recycling post-consumer materials A new format for blending multiple musical instruments into concertos Identification of what is new and progressive: A product designed and produced at an extremely low cost Applying object-oriented programming to language instruction Use of 100 percent post-consumer content in new glass products Applying biological heuristics to pharmaceutical development
2. IMPACT Under this criterion, entrants will describe the target audience for the innovation: who will use the innovative product or service? Then, describe how the innovation would be competitive in the marketplace. Finally, entries will define how the innovation would be used by the targeted population (utility) or how effective the innovation is expected to be (effect). Target users of the innovation (who) might include: College students Business establishments in a specific industry Primary school children Senior citizens afflicted with a chronic disease Individual homeowners People who live in a flood-prone zone In all cases, innovation teams should be concise. Use of quantitative measure is always helpful (e.g., how many senior citizens are afflicted with the target disease?). Utility by the targeted population could be described as: A device to be worn on the body, freeing the patient from tethering A service that could be accessed remotely or from a smart phone A new teaching method that could shorten learning cycles Reduction of post-consumer materials entering the solid-waste stream Entrants also will describe the effect their innovation will or could have on either society at large or the focused target population. Competitive character of the innovation might be described by comparison with existing goods or services produced for the targeted users, as: Less expensive More easily packaged and distributed Easier to use Faster More durable More portable More easily maintained Improving health, welfare or other societal outcomes 3. PATH TO IMPLEMENTATION Innovation Challenge is not a business plan competition, however, the completeness of the innovative thought process is an important parameter. How do you plan to further develop your innovation? Measures of completeness that will be considered include active consideration of a path to implementation. For example: How will you prepare for actual utilization by the target audience? Have you identified the barriers to implementation? Have you defined a strategy to overcome those barriers? Other possible measures to describe a path to implementation could include: Market research results Beta testing Public or focus group demonstrations In part, a path to implementation might be demonstrated by preparing and testing a prototype of the good or service.