Nitsopoulos Family Entrepreneurship Award

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Nitsopoulos Family Entrepreneurship Award will provide a $10,000 award grant to support a Brock University graduate entrepreneur who is committed to establishing a business in Niagara. The award winner will be invited to submit business expenditures for reimbursement up to $10,000.  As part of the qualification and review process, the applicant may have the opportunity to receive a free consulting session with a Faculty of Business appointed mentor or they many choose to a engage the services of the Brock MBA Business Consulting Group to fine-tune his/her business and marketing plan. The services of the Brock MBA Small Business Consulting Group are an eligible award expense.

ELIGIBILITY

To apply to the Nitsopoulos Family Entrepreneurship Award, you must be a recent graduate of (or eligible to graduate from) Brock University and be committed to establishing a business in the Niagara Region. Applicants may also present a business plan in partnership so long as the primary applicant for the award is a graduate of Brock University.

Applicants can be students who are eligible to graduate or be graduates from any field of study at Brock University.  Graduates, who have not received past awards, are eligible to apply for up to two years from the time of graduation.

HOW AWARD WINNERS ARE CHOSEN

The initial application requires the applicant(s) to submit a plan to establish a business in the Niagara Region.  Applicants may also present a business plan in partnership so long as the primary applicant for the award is a graduate of Brock University.

A review Committee will select a business plan and as next step, the applicant(s) will be offered the opportunity to have a free consulting session with a mentor representing the Faculty of Business to fine-tune the business and marketing plan. In addition, a consulting session from the Brock MBA  Business Consulting Group may also be offered as an eligible award expense.   

The third step could require the candidate(s) to submit a financing proposal that identifies how the award funds would be spent and how other business expenses would be covered. 

An independent and un-biased Review Committee established by the Dean of the Faculty of Business, will review the business plan, evaluate and select the award-winner. Decisions of the Review Committee will be final. The Review Committee is made up of regional business leaders from a variety of sectors such as: Financial, Marketing, Legal, Small Business Owners, faculty from the Faculty of Business etc.

Applicants may be required to make a presentation to the Review Committee as part of the selection process.

Once the Committee is satisfied the commitment is genuine and the plans are marketable, the candidate(s) will be invited to submit expenditures for reimbursement of up to $10,000 over a period of two years.  Eligible expenditures may include start-up costs for equipment purchases/rentals, supplies, advertising/marketing materials, office furnishings, legal/accounting costs, rent, wages, consulting fees.  The recipient is not required to repay the award contribution.

HOW TO APPLY

Please complete the Award Application Form and submit it by mail no later than April 30. Please refer to the Nitsopoulos Family Entrepreneurship Awards Application including the Submission Guidelines for complete details.