Business Plan Competition
About the Competition
HCC’s annual Business Plan Competition (BPC) is an opportunity for proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs to develop focused plans to start or grow their businesses.
Applications for the 2026 HCC Business Plan Competition will be accepted January 5 through January 26.
- Accepted teams will be announced and training will begin in late February and run through early June, with six free, three-hour training sessions.
- Advising will be provided to each accepted team. Applicants can apply as a team of from one to five persons.
- For the 2026 competition, of six training sessions, three will be offered onsite and three will be offered virtually.
- Participants can look forward to the following:
- Free training & one-on-one advising made available to each team.
- Seed money will be awarded to top five teams.
Last year, $26,000 was awarded in seed money to the top five teams. In-kind prizes were also awarded to all graduating teams including free products, services and memberships, with an estimated in-kind value totaling $147,000.
Preparing to Apply
Proposed & Startup* Entrepreneurs - 3 Steps
Proposed - A business that is in the planning stages or has opened but has not yet produced revenue. Founder is planning to start the business within 12 months following the competition.
Startup - A startup is considered any business that has opened in the last two years AND/OR has produced revenue under $50,000 in the last fiscal year. Businesses that have been launched/opened but are still in the process of proving the business model and management.
- Pre-requisite Financial Workshop
- Pre-requisite Class/Program
- Apply
Existing Entrepreneurs - Just 2 Steps
Existing - An existing business can range from a small business to a large enterprise. The business should be open at least two years and, in the last fiscal year, produced revenues ranging from over $50,000 up to millions. The primary focus of the company is planning for the company’s next level of growth, including positioning to adjust to the past five years of economic challenges through today and moving forward, articulating a well thought out plan to grow the business profitably.
- Pre-requisite Financial Workshop
- Apply
Proposed & Startup Entrepreneurs Prerequisites
- Prerequisites: Financial Workshop and Class/Program
- If you have already completed both, proceed to your application.
- If not, you may register for the required workshop and class until Monday, January 26, at 2 p.m. CST.
- Application deadline: Submit your completed HCC Business Plan Competition application by Monday, January 26, at 2 p.m. CST.
Existing Entrepreneurs Prerequisites
- Prerequisite: Financial Workshop only (class not required)
- Workshops are available on January 14, January 21 and January 29.
- Application deadline: Submit your completed application by Monday, January 26, at 2 p.m. CST.
For Proposed, Startup & Existing Companies
Take Pre-requisite Financial Workshop
The Financial Workshop is required for:
- Proposed Entrepreneurs
- Startup Entrepreneurs
- Existing Business Owners
Already Completed the Workshop?
If you completed an HCC Financial Workshop within the past two years, this requirement is satisfied.
- 2024 Sessions: January 18, January 24 and January 30
- 2025 Sessions: January 15 and January 30
Upcoming Financial Workshop Dates
For more information and to register now for the workshop, select the date that works best for you:
- Register for Wednesday, January 14, 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.– Virtual on ZOOM
- Register for Wednesday, January 21, 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. – Onsite at HCC Alief Hayes Campus
- Register for Thursday, January 29, 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Virtual on ZOOM
- Be sure to sign up for the financial workshop prior to submitting your 2026 BPC Application. Then attend the webinar on the date you registered for it.
For Proposed & Startup Companies - Take Required Pre-Requisite Class/Program
Pre-Requisite Class or Program: Proposed and Startup Team Entry Requirements - The Team Leader of each proposed or startup business applicant team should complete ONE of the following classes at HCC or ONE of the following HCC programs or partner programs:
Have you completed one of these Prequalifying Classes or Programs?
- HCC Small Business Success Series
- Small Business Management - BUSG 2309 (for college credit)
- Entrepreneurship & Economic Development - BUSG 1307 (for college credit); completed prior to the competition.
- Liftoff Houston Startup Competition
- Houston Area Urban League Small Business University (HAUL SBU)
- University of Houston SURE program
*Experienced serial entrepreneurs currently pursuing a proposed or startup business that is different from past businesses they've run, may not be required to take the prerequisite class/program. Each application and accompanying resumes will be reviewed and decisions will be made accordingly.
If you have already completed one of the above, just sign up for and attend a pre-requisite financial workshop in January and submit a strong application before the competition's final deadline extension.
If not, Proposed and Startup Entrepreneurs can still take the HCC Small Business Success Series coming up in Jan./Feb. 2026.
Jan/Feb 2026 Small Business Success Series - Registration will open soon
You may apply for the competition before the series begins, but you must also register for the series and attend all five sessions.
If your application is selected, acceptance is conditional on completing the entire series.
Competition Timeline
Apply
January 5 - January 26
Accepted Teams Announced
February 19
Training
Six free, three-hour sessions (each includes networking, program and Q&A) virtual training on Zoom and three onsite training sessions at Alief Hayes Main Bldg., A319/A320
- Tuesday Evenings 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. - Subsequent training sessions:
- February 24 - Session 1 - Roles & Responsibilities - VIRTUAL
- March 3 - Session 2 - Leadership - ONSITE
- March 17 - Session 3 - Sales & Marketing - VIRTUAL
- March 31 - Session 4 – Financials - ONSITE
- April 14 - Session 5 - Written Plan - VIRTUAL
- May 6 - Session 6 - Pitching & Slide Presentation - ONSITE
- Note - One team member from each competing team must be present at all six training sessions!
Plan Submission Deadline
May 4
Finalists Present to Judges
May 27 - Onsite at Alief Hayes Main Bldg.
Competition Awards Ceremony and Graduation
June 4 – HCC Alief Hayes, West Houston Institute, Grand Ballroom - Prize Money Awarded! - All Graduating Teams receive in-kind prizes*.
*To receive in-kind prizes, all graduates must have one team member present at all training sessions and meet submission deadlines for plans, slide deck and one-minute video.
Next Step: APPLY
If you have already completed the above-mentioned webinar and (if required) the class; fill out the application. If you still need to take the webinar and/or a prerequisite class that is still available, register for it/them prior to submitting the application.
Submit your application by the deadline on Monday, January 26, 2 p.m. CST.
- Read the Contestant Requirements and Competition Rules - You must commit to this in the application.
- Get your resumes ready for each team member before you submit your application – Have electronic resumes for EACH team member ready to attach. Upload each resume in a pdf file or word.doc file when in the online application. You cannot advance in the application until you attach a resume.
- Tips for a Strong BPC Application – You can start your application and save it before submitting it. Once you click SUBMIT, you can no longer make changes. Note: there are important Business Concept Questions in the application. We recommend you get started on your answers to the business concept questions in the online application by first typing them into a Word document and saving it. This allows you to refine your responses. You can then copy and paste your final answers into the online application.
- Here are the Business Concept Questions you can prepare for before you fill out the online application form:
- One-Minute Video - Prepare and upload a one-minute video of you, the owner/applicant talking to the camera to introduce your business concept and yourself to the application reviewer. For applicants seeking ideas for what to include, here are some suggestions: Pain/gain your product or service is addressing; your product/service, target audience, name of business, name of applicant and brief overview of professional experience.
- 2026 Application Deadline – The deadline on Monday, January 26, 2 p.m. CST. We recommend you start your application early, to ensure you meet the deadline. We will be choosing teams for the 2026 competition as we review completed applications up to and after the application deadline, until all teams have been notified by February 19.
- Submit your application from January 5 - January 26, 2 p.m. CST.
- Team Leaders can begin the application by clicking the blue Register button below. You can save the application in draft until you click submit. Note, after you click submit, you will no longer be able to edit your application.
In-Kind Prizes Awarded to All Graduating teams!
The greatest prize is moving through the competition’s free advising & training, but you could win prize money too! Last year, $26,000 was awarded in seed money to the top five teams, with $147,000 free products, services and memberships to all 2026 graduating teams. All teams will receive in-kind prizes and support services.
For Questions, email us at c4e@hccs.edu.
