Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition

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Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition

GSEC Entry and Competition Criteria

To compete in GSEC, student teams need to create an innovative social business plan that seeks to alleviate a problem(s) of poverty in developing economies around the world.*  GSEC business plans must clearly demonstrate the financial Return on Investment (ROI) and the Social Return on Investment (SROI), in addition to the social impact of the business idea.  Please refer to the GSEC Submission Requirements and Resources for application and business plan criteria. 

GSEC plans are judged on three criteria: (1) effect on the quality of life and poverty alleviation in the developing economies; (2) financial sustainability; (3) feasibility of implementation.  To learn what former GSEC participants have proposed, visit the GSEC business plans section.

GSEC is open to students from any academic institution worldwide. Teams may be comprised of students from difference disciplines and institutions, and multi-disciplinary teams are highly encouraged. Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible.  Looking for team members? Become a fan of GSEC on Facebook and post on the Discussions page to recruit a team or team members. 

Review the GSEC rules for full eligibility details.


How to Apply
GSEC applications will be accepted August 03-Novemeber 11, 2009.  Before applying, please review the GSEC rules and GSEC Submission Requirements.

To apply, GSEC student teams must complete both of the following by 11/11/09:

1)    Submit an executive summary of your team's business plan via email to gsec@u.washington.edu.  Executive summaries must adhere to the GSEC executive summary requirements, detailed in the GSEC Submission Requirements.

2)    Complete the online application, available here.

Both the executive summary and the online registration must be received by November 11, 2009, 11:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time.  Only one application per team.


Review and Selection Process
GSEC applications go through two rounds of reviews between November-December 2009 to determine the semi-finalist GSEC teams. Semi-finalist teams are selected in mid-December and are invited to attend GSEC Week, March 1-5, 2010 at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, WA.  

Once semi-finalist teams are confirmed, they are paired and work with mentors starting December 2009 to develop the full business plan.  GSEC teams are required to submit a full business plan draft January 19, 2010 and the final full business plan February 16, 2010.  GSEC business plans must conform to the business plan format as detailed in the GSEC Submission Requirements.

During GSEC Week, semi-finalist teams will compete for GSEC prizes totaling up to $17,000 US.**  SROI includes the social good of improved health and, in addition to the GSEC grand prize, two prizes in global health will be offered. Please refer to the GSEC global health plan guidelines for more information.

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* Eligible countries include low, low-middle, and upper-middle income countries,as classification by the World Bank, citation. 

**Prizes are subject to U.S. a 30% withholding tax for nonresident aliens, which may be recovered upon approval by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). UW Tax Information.