Judging Criteria

The competition judges will consider themselves to be donor-investors as they score the venture plans on the following eleven criteria.

Social Impact and Innovation (40% Weight)

  1. Social Impact Analysis What is the specific need the social product or service fulfills? Who is helped? How are they helped? How many are helped?
  2. Integration of Social and Financial Missions Do the venture's social and financial goals align?
  3. Innovative Service or Product How is this approach innovative or unique? Can the innovation be leveraged through other organizations to bring about faster or greater social returns?

Viability (35% Weight)

  1. Business Model What is the business model for delivering the social innovation?
  2. Financial Return on the Investment (if applicable)Are the venture's financial goals measurable?
  3. Fundability Does this venture have the potential to receive financial support from additional investors/donors?
  4. Management Team Will the team submitting the venture be able to create the venture and implement the plan? Do they have the management experience and expertise in relevant markets and industries?
  5. Marketability Is there a demand for these products or services in the marketplace?

Venture Plans (25% Weight)

  1. Scalability Is there potential for growth or replication of the venture?
  2. Performance Benchmarks Does the venture have clear methods to track, monitor, and access the performance milestones articulated in the business plan?
  3. Risk Assessment and Contingency Plans Are there risk factors associated with the organization and development of the venture? Is there a plan for mitigating them?

The above criteria do not have to be presented in a specific order but each should be addressed in the business plan.

Those looking for an outline to follow may want to review the outline requirement for the Global Social Venture Competition. The Global Social Venture Competition submissions require the following outline:

  • Executive summary (1 page maximum)
  • Business overview
  • The market opportunity (the problem, the customer's pain)
  • Market solution
  • The market
  • Management team
  • Financial analysis
  • Social / environmental quantitative impact analysis
  • Funding request
Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance Brigham Young University, Marriott School 360 TNRB Provo, UT 84602 (801) 422-9009