2023-2024 VentureQuest Business Idea Competition

Helping Bow Valley College Students Turn Entrepreneurial Dreams Into Reality

VentureQuest gives students at Bow Valley College the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded people, create a network of socially-focused entrepreneurs, and develop a business idea while competing for over $20,000 in cash and prizes.

To enter, all you need to do is use your phone to create and submit a two to three-minute video about your idea that is judged by the rubric** show below

Call or text our Entreprenuer-in-Residence Craig Elias (+1.403.874.2998) if you have any questions about VentureQuest.

VentureQuest participants validate their business idea, write a business plan that includes three full years of financial analysis, and at the end of the program, finalists deliver a five-minute pitch to invited guests and a panel of industry judges.

The VentureQuest program is made possible by the generous support of our presenting sponsor TD Bank Group. This social entrepreneurship program gives Bow Valley College students the chance to start a business that can have a positive impact on the community.

Through workshops, skills development sessions, mentorship, and networking opportunities, aspiring entrepreneurs get the chance to develop their entrepreneurial skills and cultivate their ideas into a viable, socially responsible business.

Detials and registration for the workshops can be found at https://lu.ma/student-startup-office-hours.

The program culminates with our VentureQuest Gala, where the top 10 finalists present their ideas to over 100 guests, including representatives from the different sectors of the Alberta entrepreneurship ecosystem and four pitching judges. The stakes are high, with over $20,000 in cash and prizes awarded to the top three ideas.

Since its inception in 2014, Bow Valley College’s VentureQuest program has given almost 100 learners the chance to become social entrepreneurs. Thanks to the support of our community-minded sponsors and supporters, we have awarded over $100,000 in cash and in-kind services. The entrepreneurial spirit and social focus of our VentureQuest program participants have been recognized and celebrated by the community.

**Videos are judged according to the following scoring rubric.
Is the idea realistic? 20%
Is the idea marketable? 20%
Is there a reasonable expectation of profit? 20%
Does it have a positive social impact? 20%
Does it fulfill an unmet or unsatisfied need? 10%
Is the idea ready for implementation? 10%

The full VentureQuest rules and regulations can be found at VentureQuest Rules.