With countries headed toward an endemic approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there is a revived interest in creating business opportunities. Entrepreneurship has proved to be a vital skill for the youth, especially as a tool to help them identify strong work opportunities as well as the prospect of starting their own businesses. Today, social awareness is required in order to develop a business that is both effective and sustainable.

The DIYC Movement recognises the value of promoting entrepreneurship, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. We, therefore, challenge the youth from the ASEAN region and beyond to create an actionable business plan that seeks to proliferate these values.

What are you waiting for? If you’d like to stand the chance to win a cash prize and priority access to the DIYC Movement and its networks, register your team for the DIYC Business Plan Challenge today!

What is the DIYC Business Plan Challenge?

We challenge you to create a socially aware business!

The DIYC Movement seeks to empower youths to create a business plan that maintains the following criteria:

  • Actionable
  • Sustainable
  • Scalable
  • Accessible
  • Diverse
  • Inclusive.

Participating teams will be required to come up with a pitch and a proof of concept for a Business Plan That Is Socially Aware and Sustainable. They will have to showcase a compelling business model and value proposition that satisfies the criteria above.

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The Award

Our esteemed panel of judges will be judging all teams and their proposals based on the criteria highlighted above, so make sure you keep these in mind when developing your ideas! The winning team(s) able to best meet the criteria will receive a cash prize that can be put towards realising your business plan.

Are you Ready to Start?

Submit your ideas now!

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Click on the each tab below to find out more!

Registration

Deadline: 31 January 2022

Interested in participating in the Challenge? Submit your interest to participate in the Challenge by registering using the link below.  Remember to check all your information and details as our initial screening will be based on this information you submit!

  • You must sign up as a Team. A self-appointed Team Leader must register on behalf of your team
    • Only the Team Leader must complete the registration on behalf of the Team
    • Additional registrations of the same Team by more than one Team member may result in disqualification
    • Each Team must comprise at least three (3) and no more than five (5) Team members.
    • You are not allowed to be on more than one Team for the Challenge
    • Teams demonstrating diversity and inclusion in their makeup will be given extra credit by the Judging Panel.
  • All Team members must fulfil the following Eligibility Criteria:
    • Preference will be given to Teams comprising students of education institutes in Malaysia
    • Be between eighteen (18) and thirty-five (35) [inclusive] years of age
    • If a member of any Team is found to be ineligible, the entire Team may be disqualified from the Challenge. However, the Organiser may grant leave for the Team to proceed with the Challenge without the ineligible member.
  • All registrations for the Challenge must be made via https://diycx.org/diyc_business_plan_challenge (the “Site”). Any attempts to register via other methods will be rejected.
  • Team Leaders will receive an email within five (5) working days via their registered email address confirming their Team’s registration. The email will also attach the Submission Form required for the next stage.
Register For The DIYC Business Plan Challenge Here!

Pitch Submission

 

Deadline: 28 February 2023

You are now ready to submit your Pitch!  Remember, the pitch must have the following features: Wide Outreach, Effective Delivery, Diverse and Inclusive, Sustainable, and Scalable!

The Submission Form comprises two components – (1) Business Plan; and (2) Team Formation details

    • Both components must be completed upon submission by the Deadline stipulated above. Incomplete submissions or failure to submit by the Deadline will result in immediate disqualification.
    • Submission of the Form will be via email to the email address from which they received the Application Form. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt.
    • You may expect to receive an acknowledgment of receipt from the Organiser within five (5) working days of your submission email. It is your responsibility to follow up with the Organiser if you do not receive an acknowledgment.
    • It is your responsibility to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the Submission Form. Any requests to amend a Submission Form that has already been submitted will be denied. Incomplete Submission may be disqualified.
  • The Business Plan
    • Submit a compelling Business Plan utilising the following guidelines (these are guidelines recommended by the Organiser, but you may opt to draft independent of the guidelines).  More information can be found in the Submission Guide.
      • Problem statement
      • The proposed solution
      • Execution strategy
      • Team Profile
      • Proposed Key Performance Indicators and Project Milestones
      • Financials
  • Team Formation Details
      • All Team members must contribute their personal details to The Team Formation Details Form
      • All Team members must submit a Curriculum Vitae as part of the Team Formation Details Form
      • Failure to provide complete or accurate information will result in the disqualification of the respective Team member or the entire Team.

Final Selection

 

Finalist Teams Announcement: March 2023

The panel of Judges will review all the entries that have been submitted and will shortlist teams for the Grand Finale.

  • Finalists will be selected based on their Business Plan and Team Formation by the Panel of Judges using the Judging Criteria.
  • Finalists will be contacted by the Organiser to inform them that they are through to the Grand Finale.
  • Finalists will be invited to attend an Online Briefing Session where they will be briefed on the requirements of the Finals, including the revision of their Business Plan.
  • The selection of the Finalists shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of the Organiser and all Teams agree to abide by the Organiser’s decision. Teams who have not been selected for the Finals have absolutely no right of appeal and any attempts to do so will not be entertained.

Grand Finale

 

March 2023

Get ready to pitch your business plans! The shortlisted business plans will be invited to pitch their proposal to an esteemed panel of judges. This is your opportunity to present your ideas and win the Challenge!

Be prepared! The Pitch comprises two components – (1) Live Business Plan Presentation; and (2) Live Q&A Sessions

  • Live Business Plan Presentation & Revised Business Plan Submission [Deadline for Submission of Revised Business Plan:  2 December, 2022, 23:59 MYT (UTC +8)]
    • Finalists will present their Proposed Solution and demonstrate their POC/Mock-up/Prototype via a live-streamed Pitch Presentation (the “Live Presentation”). The Live Presentation must not exceed fifteen (15) minutes in total. Presentations exceeding 15-minutes will have only the first 15-minutes assessed and the remainder will be disregarded by the Panel of Judges.
    • The Revised Business Plan has to be submitted by the aforementioned deadline via email.
    • Failure to adhere to the deadline will result in disqualification. Any requests to amend the Revised Business Plan after the deadline will not be entertained.

 

  • Live Q&A Session with Panel of Judges [Assigned timeslots between 3 – 4  December 2022]
    • Finalists will be assigned a timeslot for their Live Presentation which will close with a Q&A Session on the day of the Grand Finale. Finalists are not allowed to change their assigned timeslot.
    • The Live Q&A Session will be conducted at a physical venue and will be live-streamed to the Movement’s social media platforms
    • Finalists will be required to answer questions from the Panel of Judges and may be asked to conduct a live demonstration of their POC/Mock-up/Prototype (if applicable).
    • After hearing the presentations of all Finalists, the Award Winner/Winners will be selected by the Panel of Judges using the Judging Criteria.

Any questions? Please send them to businessplanchallenge@diycx.org .