2009 North of Boston Business Plan Competition

Keywords
Basic Business Plan

The 2009 North of Boston Business Plan Competition will award a $10,000 first prize, $6,000 second prize and $4,000 third prize to outstanding plans for companies less than two years old who are planning to add at least five full-time or full-time equivalent employees within two years.

The Enterprise Center at Salem State College and the Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council have launched the fifth annual North of Boston Business Plan Competition designed to find and support early stage, start-up and existing growth businesses.

Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20. Complete information about the competition and how to apply can be found at www.enterprisectr.org/bpc. Interested parties can also get information by calling 978-542-7528.

“The goal of this competition is to find those new growth businesses and get them to locate or stay in Essex County or Merrimack Valley,” said Bob Halpin, president of the Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council. “We need to show businesses of all sizes that whether they are high tech or low tech we have the money and resources in the North of Boston to support them.”

Full eligibility details, entry forms and information on the winners for the past four years are available at www.enterprisectr.org/bpc.

The competition is grateful for the support of its platinum sponsor Eastern Bank, as well as gold sponsor Salem Five, silver sponsors Burns & Levinson, LLP, Danversbank, NorthShore Bank, North Shore Technology Council and media sponsor The Salem Evening News.

Co-sponsors of the 2009 competition include the 128 Innovation Capital Group, Amesbury Chamber of Commerce, Bertolon School of Business, Salem State College, Beverly Chamber of Commerce, Cape Ann Business Incubator, Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, Creative Economy Association of the North of Boston, Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce, Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce, Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce, North of Boston Chamber of Commerce, Peabody Chamber of Commerce, Salem Chamber of Commerce, Salem State College Alumni Association and the Small Business Development Center at Salem State College.