Application

• The application consists of an Application Form, a Business Concept, Grant Utilisation form and a Letter of Agreement. These have to be filled-in and submitted to the Business Plan Competition, physically through a regional SIDO / ZNCCIA / ZIFA office (find your local office here.)
• Online submission through BDG website www.bdgtpsf.com is highly discouraged and will only be used as a last resort. BPC Manager should clearly and specifically be informed of all on-line applications to ensure prompt downloading.
• Applications for the Business Plan Competition 2011 - 2012 must be submitted between the 03rd of October to 04th of November 2011. Late applications shall not be considered.
• A participant can only present one Business Concept in the Business Plan Competition 2011.
• The applicants must follow the Guidelines of the Business Plan Competition. Hard copies of the Guidelines are included in the Participants Information Packs available at SIDO offices.
• After a Business Concept is submitted, it will be considered as final and cannot be changed.
• The business concept/ idea must be original work of participating entrepreneur and not a previously presented business concept for the same competition.
• The Business Concept should be between 2 and 3 pages long.
• The Business Concept must be typed in Microsoft Word in Times New Roman, font size 12. Handwritten applications will not be considered.
• The participation fee for the Competition is TZS 10,000/- for 1day training, 20,000/- for 2days training and 30,000/- for 3days training. This fee is payable by entrepreneurs who are selected for the training session. Fees can be paid in cash and Official receipts MUST be issued upon payment of the participation fees.
• An Infopack cost of Tsh 2,000/= is payable to BDG partners while filling out application forms.
• Every contestant must agree with the rules of the competition and sign and agree with the Participation Letter of Agreement as well as the Anti-Corruption Declaration.
• Participants must be available to attend (in person) all BPC training workshops otherwise they will be disqualified from the competition. Absconding from scheduled training sessions is highly discouraged and will result in participant disqualification from the competition.
• Only individual entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas or own existing and legal businesses can participate in the competition. Participation of groups is highly discouraged.
• Businesses have to be formalized before receiving the initial BPC grant. This entails having a business license, business registration with BRELA and Tax Identification Number (TIN).
• Participants must agree to accept that their registration details and personal data will be available for statistical and promotional purposes.
• All participants MUST attach a recent passport size photograph to their applications.
• The business concept/ idea should be potentially viable and legal and able to absorb the BDG grant at every stage of the competition. This has to be proved through a Grant Utilization Form to be attached to the application form.

Awards

• The participant will have to have or be ready to open a bank account in order to receive the grant award amount. However, this process shall only commence once the BDG PMU or appointed agents have undertaken a physical verification of the proposed business and certified its eligibility to participate and obtain the initial BPC grant. Successful participants will be expected to open a business bank account with National Microfinance Bank (NMB) (in the mainland) or People’s Bank of Zanzibar (PBZ) (for Zanzibar applicants). Grants shall be transferred through these accounts.
• Competition prizes are non-transferable, non-routable and non-extendable.
• Prizes are subject to the laws of Tanzania, including tax regulations.
• Grants are supposed to be utilised in business and only for the applied concept/idea within three months following grant award. Any delay in the utilization of the grant exceeding three months should be reported by the grantee to the BDG Grant Fund Manager without fail.
• Grant usage must be in line with Grant usage plans declared by participants in the Grant Usage Forms. Winners must show to BDG Grant Fund Manager, receipts and documentation indicating usage.

Confidentiality

• Your business idea and business plan will be treated in the strictest confidence. All organizers, sponsors/judges and mentors are highly respected professionals who regularly deal with confidential information in the course of their work. However, the protection of intellectual property is the ultimate responsibility of each participant.
• All entries in the Business Plan Competition remain the property of the applicants.
• Registration details and personal data of participants will be available for statistical and promotional purposes.

Language

• Both Kiswahili and English shall be languages used for all aspects of the Competition, including for the submission of Business Ideas and Business Plan and all presentations at the Finals. Furthermore, trainings shall be delivered in English & Kiswahili languages.