The UCI Environment Institute, in collaboration with the Tech Coast Angels OC Chapter and in partnership with OCTANe, Calit2, K5, the UCI Center for Unconventional Security Affairs, and The Paul Merage School of Business, has initiated the UCI Clean Tech Academy (mentorship program and business plan competition) to inspire the UCI community to bring forward innovative products or services currently in development that address the most pressing environmental problems of the 21st Century. We aim to create ventures that will make UCI a leader in sustainability research and applications, and also to encourage future collaboration and awareness of these issues on campus.
The UCI Clean Tech Academy will be conducted from November 2011 through February 2012. UCI students, faculty, staff, and/or researchers with an innovative product or service that solves a pressing energy or environmental problem are eligible to apply for participation in the program. Applications will be accepted for consideration through November 18, 2011. The UCI Clean Tech Academy consists of three phased activities: Application, Mentorship Program, and Business Plan Competition.
The Application
Interested parties must complete the Clean Tech Academy Application and submit it, along with resumes of principal collaborators, to be considered for selection. (Additional information is provided on this site at How to Apply and Rules and Eligibility.) All applications submitted by the competition deadline will be reviewed, and up to six applicants will be selected to participate as semi-finalists in the mentorship program and subsequent business plan competition. Selection of the participants will be based on the application materials submitted in conformance with the Competition Rules.
The Mentorship Program
During the mentorship program, the semi-finalists selected for participation will receive one-on-one mentoring with seasoned angel investors and business professionals. Each of the selected ventures will be assigned a mentor from the Tech Coast Angels and/or K5 Launch who will work directly with the team during the mentoring phase to develop a business plan (sample Business Plan Outline) and create a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation summarizing the business proposal. Applicants with an early-stage product or service may be eligible to participate in the K5 Launch program, designed specifically to develop a minimal viable product, and to perform market validation. Senior experts from the UCI Center for Unconventional Security Affairs will be available throughout the mentoring pocess to advise on social sustainability aspects.
The mentoring phase of the competition provides all semi-finalists with the opportunity to develop important relationships with the business community and emerge with the tools required for pursuing investment interests. This phase will involve at least two meetings (2-4 hours each) between the mentors and the entrepreneurs (the management teams).
The Business Plan Competition
In the business plan competition, the semi-finalists will present the business plans developed during the mentoring phase to a panel of judges selected from the Tech Coast Angels OC Chapter, UCI Environment Institute, OCTANe, K5, Calit2, and The Paul Merage School of Business. The business plans will be judged using the Judging Criteria established for this competition to select the enterprise anticipated to have the most promising and well-integrated financial and social returns. Total prize money of $50,000 and the Calit2 TechPortal Award will be awarded to the winners to assist with implementing the developed business plan. In addition, one winner may be invited to compete in the Business Plan Competition at The Paul Merage School of Business in February 2012, contingent upon meeting all entrance requirements. Prizes will be presented at the award ceremony in early 2012. Entrepreneurs, business professionals, UCI faculty and researchers, and competition participants will be present at the ceremony. The semi-finalists may also have the opportunity to make additional presentations to the Tech Coast Angels for further angel funding.
Deadlines and Dates
November 18, 2011 | Applications | Completed Applications and Resumes Due (email to envinst@uci.edu) |
November 28, 2011 | Semi-Finalists Announced | Up to Six Applicants Selected to Participate in Mentoring Program |
November 28, 2011 – January 20, 2012 | Mentorship Phase | Develop Business Plan and PowerPoint Presentation |
January 24, 2012 | Business Plan Competition | Final Presentations |
February 2012 | Award Ceremony | Finalist(s) Announced |