The Moot Corp^® 2003 Competition will be held on April 30 -May 3, 2003. Participation in this internationally recognized Super Bowl of world business-plan competitions will be through invitation or by winning other competitions; this year at least eleven teams will qualify for the Moot Corp^® Competition by winning other competitions.

The Moot Corp^® Pontoon Fund will offer the winner the opportunity to receive a $100,000 equity investment, that initially will be in the form of convertible debt; consider it an “early bridge” loan. To receive this investment, the winning team must be committed to launching its venture. With this investment opportunity, our competition has ceased to be “moot.” The judges in all rounds will be analyzing the ventures to determine which represents the best investment opportunity. They will be looking for ventures which offer the potential for significant wealth creation. The judges will be acting as venture capitalists.

This change will also impact our rules. The MBA entrepreneurs will be expected to have more than a token equity interest in the venture; subsidiaries will not be eligible. We will be looking for new ventures, not just a distribution play in the American market of a product already being sold in another market. See Guidelines for a complete set of rules.

The Competition
On Thursday, each team will participate in a Feedback Round. In this Round, each team will have 15 minutes to make its presentation and then receive 15 minutes of feedback. The goal of this session is to improve the focus and quality of the team’s presentation.

Approximately 30 teams in five divisions will make presentations in the Opening Round on Friday, May 2. Each team will have 15 minutes to present its proposal to the investors and then 20 minutes to respond to questions from the investors. The investors/judges will select a finalist and runner-up from each division.

The Money Round takes place on Saturday. All but the finalists from the Opening Round will compete in Challenges Saturday morning; each Challenge will be sponsored and judged by a venture capital firm. In the Challenges, each team will have 5 minutes to present its elevator pitch followed by 25 minutes of interaction with the investors. The finalists from the Opening Round will compete in the afternoon. Each team will have 15 minutes to present its venture followed by 25 minutes of questioning from the judges.

Business Plans
Eleven (11) copies of the business plan are due in Austin on Friday, April 18, 2003. The plan must be limited to 25 pages (typed and double-spaced) of text, including the executive summary and summary financial data. Financial spreadsheets and appendices should follow the text portion of the plan. In total, the plan should be no longer than 40 pages. Business Plan Guidelines are provided under Guidelines.

The teams must include an MBA or other graduate student. Participation in the Moot Corp^® Competition offers the following opportunities:

• To receive a $100,000 investment to finance the early stages of the venture,
• To network with fellow MBAs from the best business schools in the world,
• To improve your business plan both from the preparation involved and from investors’ suggestions,
• To make contact with venture capitalists and other investors, and
• To enjoy Austin during our finest season.

The Texas Forum on Entrepreneurship Education will again be held in conjunction with the Moot Corp^® Competition. In the Forum, faculty advisers have the opportunity to share ideas with their colleagues.

Participants in the Moot Corp 2003 will be staying at the Omni Austin Hotel in downtown Austin.