E-Spirit Business Plan Competition

What is E-Spirit?
It's a national Aboriginal youth business plan competition sponsored by BDC for Aboriginal youth in grades 10 to 12. Each year over 500 Aboriginal students across Canada participate. Since 2001, E-Spirit has introduced over 5,000 students to entrepreneurship. BDC contributes over $300,000 per year to the competition.

How do students compete?
Teams complete a business plan using modules provided on the E-Spirit website.  To qualify for the 3-day gala event, each team needs to:

·         Submit a complete business plan

·         Submit a video promoting their business idea

·         Give an oral presentation in front of their peers and judges

·         Set up a trade booth promoting their idea

The goals of BDC's eSpirit competition are to help youth:

·         Create their own opportunities

·         Set goals and objectives

·         Establish a framework for a better future

E-Spirit is Internet-based.
Because technology has no geographic boundaries, it offers a whole new way of doing business. The opportunities are tremendous! Students use the eSpirit website to get:

·         Online learning modules

·         Mentoring

·         A business-plan template

What's in it for students?
E-Spirit provides participants with valuable skills for today's marketplace. Students:

·         Gain an awareness of self-employment opportunities

·         Learn business, management and leadership skills

·         Increase their employability skills

·         Get an awareness of ebusiness models and technologies

·         learn the importance of teamwork

·         improve their communication skills

E-Spirit National Aboriginal Youth

Business Plan Competition

October 15, 2012 – February 18, 2013

On-Line Team Registration:
September 04 to October 05, 2012