This document outlines the official rules and procedures for the 2012 Boston College SEED Social Impact Venture Competition. It details the structure of the competition including registration requirements, the approval process, presentation guidelines, judging criteria, and prizes. Key details include: 1) Teams must be registered and have an approved business plan to participate. The plan must propose a social venture with social/environmental goals. 2) Teams will present their business plans to judges and an audience. Presentations are limited to 15 minutes plus Q&A. 3) Judges will evaluate plans based on their social impact, feasibility, growth potential, presentation quality, and originality. 4) The winning team will receive $1

1. BCSEED
Social
Impact
Venture
Competition
Official Rules and
Procedures
2012

2. Boston College SEED Social Impact Venture Competition
Official Rules and Procedures
Year 2012
Article I. Structure
I) Registration
1. All teams must be registered in order to be considered in the competition
II) Approval
1. Teams with a business plan approved by the SEED Executive Committee are considered
competition participants and will be contacted for further instructions with the contact details
given at registration
2. Approval is granted when team meets eligibility requirements and has submitted all requested
materials
III) Presentations
1. Teams with approved business plans will present their business plans to the judges and an
audience
2. Presentations must be no longer than 15 minutes and are followed by a question and answer
session
3. Presenters must be registered members of the team
4. There is no restriction on the number of presenters
IV) Judging
1. Judges will determine the winner of the social impact track based on the criteria detailed below
V) Winners
1. The winning team receives a check for $1,000.00 with no restrictions for use or division among
the team members
Article II. Official Competition Rules and Regulations
I) Eligibility
1. Teams must be composed of 2 or more members
2. Team must be composed of at least 50% current undergraduate BC students who each make
significant contributions to the team
3. No person can be a member of more than one team participating in the competition

3. 4. A business plan that wins the SEED Social Impact Track contest may not be resubmitted in
subsequent years.
II) Business Plans
1. All submissions to the SEED Social Impact Track must be business plans for a social venture,
conforming to the following definition of “social venture”:
a. “A firm or organization’s undertaking whose main goal is to further a social or
environmental goal using a business model and business practices. A goal that is social is
defined as one that is philanthropic or aims to meet a societal need critical to the
welfare of a particular society. A goal that is environmental is defined as one that
decreases or eliminates harm to the Earth’s environment.”
2. All business plans must be original. All summaries, plans, and presentations must be the original
work of team members
3. Business plans should be no more than 10 pages, plus exhibits. Longer plans will not have an
automatic advantage over shorter plans in the judging criteria
4. Each team must submit their business plan in Adobe PDF (.pdf) format. All Excel files must be
formatted in display format before converting to PDF
5. Business plans are judged based on the rubric outlined under Judging Guidelines
6. Deadlines are final. Out of respect to the other teams and judges, no submissions will be
accepted after the deadline
III) Presentations
1. All presentations must be the original work of the presenting team members
2. Six hard copies of the business plan and any attachments (for instance Excel analysis) must be
prepared on three-hole punch paper and provided to the Committee three days before the
competition for inclusion in the Judge’s binders
3. Final AV presentation files (PowerPoint or equivalent) must be submitted electronically by
midnight the day before the final presentations
4. Any PowerPoint (or equivalent) presentations will be run on the venue’s A/V PC or on a laptop
brought by the team. It is suggested that each team come with a backup of the presentation on
a flash drive in case of technical problems
5. Presentations run for a maximum of 15 minutes followed by up to 10 minutes of question and
answer from the judges
6. The weight of the presentation compared to the submitted business plan will be up to each
judge, excepting the presentation quality criteria as detailed under Judging Guidelines
IV) Mentors and Judges
1. Mentors and judges may not charge for any services provided during the competition
2. Mentors and judges may not enter into contracts with any involved teams, individuals, or
companies during the competition
V) Judging Guidelines

4. 1. Social Impact: Does the business plan have a well-defined social value proposition, demonstrate
the financial sustainability of the business, and have a quantifiable social or environmental
bottom line? 50 pts
2. Feasibility: Is the business feasible both technically, if applicable, and with regards to time
projected?20 pts
3. Growth and Success: Judges, with their expertise and knowledge, will rate the potential for
growth and success, both of which defined by the team in their presentations. 20 pts
4. Presentation Quality: Teams must present with clarity and professionalism, covering all major
topics of their business plan. 10 pts
5. Originality: Judges, with their expertise and knowledge, will rate the originality of the business.
10 pts
Article III. Competition Procedures
I) Rule Violations
1. Questions about the rules should be addressed to plantchange@gmail.com for clarification.
2. Suspected rule violations should be reported to plantchange@gmail.com as soon as possible.
3. The BCSEED Executive Committee will confer to determine the validity and seriousness of any
reported infraction
4. Minor infractions will result in a warning to the team or party in violation
5. Major infractions will be reviewed in a hearing before the BCSEED Executive Committee. The
Carroll School Dean will have the final say on all penalties from rule violation decisions
6. Infractions that occur during the finals will be reviewed by the judges with the Carroll School
Dean acting as the head of the committee
7. Appeals regarding rule violation decisions will be decided by the Carroll School Dean
II) The Mentor Role
1. All mentors are provided through BCVC and therefore competitors must follow BCVC Mentor
Role Rules under Article III Section B of the Official BCVC Rules and Procedures, restated here:
2. Mentors are not permitted to write any part of the executive summaries, plans, or
3. presentations. They are asked to act in an advisory role to the team and not write or edit the
4. plans themselves. This ensures fairness to all the teams and maximizes the educational value
5. found in writing a business plan by the students
6. Mentors are expected to make themselves reasonably available to the team they are assigned
7. to. The selection of phone or face-to-face meetings is up to the discretion of individual
8. mentors and teams, but teams are requested to consult with their mentor at least twice during
9. the competition
10. If a team is unhappy with their mentor or a mentor is unhappy with their team, they should
11. make every attempt to resolve the issue. If assistance is required, contact with the BCVC
12. Executive Committee at bcvc@bc.edu is encouraged
III) Prizes
1. The winner of the BCSEED Social Impact Track will receive a check in the amount of $1,000.00

5. 2. Prizes are distributed as seen fit among all registered team members. Team equity distribution
has no bearing on prize distribution. Cash prizes may be subject to income tax
3. Prizes will be mailed out after the winning team members submit the required information to
4. the BCSEED Executive Committee at plantchange@gmail.com