ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED. 

FINALISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

Global Midwest Alliance, the Midwest Research University Network (MRUN) and Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione are pleased to invite you to participate in the Midwest Clean Tech 2012 Brinks Innovation Competition, in conjunction with Midwest Clean Tech 2012, a one-day program exhibiting Midwest excellence in Clean Technology innovation, products and services.

Now in its fourth year, the Innovation Competition was created to help emerging and venture ready clean tech companies gain visibility and make connections.  The Innovation Competition will provide a showcase for developers of new technologies who offer competitive returns for investors and customers while providing solutions to global challenges.  The companies featured in this competition are developing products, services and processes which:

• Improve and promote the productive and responsible use of natural resources;
• Reduce or eliminate negative ecological impact; and,
• Provide superior performance at lower costs

Competition entries may include, but are not limited to, the areas of environmental technologies, renewable & alternative energy, infrastructure & community, and green building science.

Submissions to the competition will be judged by a panel of qualified experts representing regional universities, venture capitalists and clean tech business executives.  All finalists will receive recognition through conference print materials and the event website, and will be eligible to attend the Clean Tech 2012 conference free of charge.  Additional finalists’ representatives may attend at the reduced registration rate of $100.

This year’s competition is being held at McCormick Place in Chicago in conjunction with Midwest Clean Tech 2012—a one-day program exhibiting Midwest excellence in clean technology innovation, products and services—and the International Manufacturing Technology Show.  Competition entries may include, but are not limited to, the areas of renewable and alternative energy, infrastructure and community, and green building science.

The top five competition entrants will be invited to present their winning technology at the Midwest Clean Tech 2012 conference as a speaker (including complementary registration) before an international audience of early stage investors, researchers,  entrepreneurs, clean tech-focused venture capitalists and financiers, and corporate R&D and business development executives.  All other finalists will have the opportunity to display information on their entry in exhibitor space at the conference venue.

Criteria

• Applicants must be focused in the clean tech space as described above.
• Applicants should have a sound business plan.
• Applicants should have ideally completed an initial or angel round of funding.
• Companies presenting on the agenda at Midwest Clean Tech 2012 are not eligible to participate.
• Sponsors of Midwest Clean Tech 2012 are not eligible to participate.

(Download Entry Information Here)

Application

• Applications can be downloaded here:  2012 Brinks Innovation Competition Application
  
• To apply, please send a 50-word (max) company profile and a non-confidential Executive Summary (two-page maximum length, including graphical content) to brinksinnovationcompetition@usebrinks.com  Applications must be received no later than Friday, June 29, 2012.
• Presenters will be notified of acceptance by Friday, July 27, 2012.
• The Executive Summary must be in Word or PDF format and must be organized under the following headings:  Name and Company Contact Information, Company Summary, Product/Technology, Market Opportunity, Sales and Marketing Strategy, Team/Founders, Investment Sought and Use of Proceeds.
• There is no cost to apply or present.
• The competition judging panel reserves the right to disqualify submissions not adhering to application requirements or to request resubmission in the event that application criteria are not met.
• Questions?  Contact us by e-mail at brinksinnovationcompetition@usebrinks.com or rriebe@globalmidwestalliance.org

Schedule

The Midwest Clean Tech 2012 Conference will be held on September 12, 2012 at McCormick Place in Chicago in conjunction with the International Manufacturing Technology Show.  The Brinks Innovation Competition will take place during the afternoon session of the conference.

For those finalists selected among the top five to present their company at the conference, a presentation length of eight minutes will be strictly enforced.  PowerPoint slides are allowed, with a six-slide maximum – slides MUST be submitted before the event.  Presenters will have the opportunity to respond to audience questions immediately following their presentation.