Industrial Partnership Projects Announces
A Competition of Business ideas for aspiring entrepreneurs
Awards
- First: USD 20,000 (~PKR 6M)
- Sec: USD 10,000 (~PKR 3M)
- Third: USD 5,000 (~PKR 1.5M)
As Qarz-e-Hasan
Our Partners
Description of the 2025 New Venture Contest (NVC)
Industrial Partnership Projects (IPP), in collaboration with Akhuwat, the Engineers for Community Welfare (ECW) of Pakistan, and Al-Khawarizmi Institute of Computer Sciences (KICS) Pakistan plans to host a competition for young entrepreneurs starting in August 2025. This will be a business ideas competition, inspiring young entrepreneurs to transform their business dreams to reality. All aspiring entrepreneurs, including graduates and undergraduate students, can participate by submitting their proposals and compete for the award of up to $20,000 in the form of an interest free loan for starting their business.
In this competition, participants shall embark on a journey unlike any other. It will be a chance for them to pitch their venture plans, compete for the award money, receive unparalleled feedback and mentorship from world class business professionals, and obtain attention from different investors. The competition is also a platform for learning and gaining expert knowledge directly from the seasoned professionals
In this competition, participants shall embark on a journey unlike any other. It will be a chance for them to pitch their venture plans, compete for the award money, receive unparalleled feedback and mentorship from world class business professionals, and obtain attention from different investors. The competition is also a platform for learning and gaining expert knowledge directly from the seasoned professionals
Sign Up for the 2025 Competition
Please review the competition details of NVC 2025 to learn about the submission requirements before you submit your proposal.
Once you have read the competition details, please click below to submit your proposal for competition.
If you have a question, please send an email to info@ippus.org.
Award Money for the 2025 Competition
The NVC is a multiple round competition culminating with in-person presentations of the top three proposals to a panel of expert judges. Prizes in the form of non-interest loans shall be awarded as follows:
- 1st Place – $20,000
- 2nd Place – $10,000
- 3rd Place – $5,000
The loan will be returnable in installments after the first two years of the full payment of the loan.
Schedule
- Aug. 14, 2024 – Program launch
- Nov. 8, 2024 – Executive summary submission deadline for the qualifying round
- Nov. 9 to Dec. 1, 2024 – Executive summaries assessment
- Dec. 13, 2024 – Announcement of (10) semi-finalists
- Jan. 21, 2025 – Submission of detailed business plan for the final round
- Interviews begin Feb 8, 2025 (all Pakistan time)
– Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 (8pm and 9pm)
– Feb. 15 and Feb. 16 (8pm and 9pm)
– Feb. 22 (8pm and 9pm)
– Feb. 23 – Interview backup day - Feb. 28 to Mar. 30, 2025 – Ramadhan and Eid
- April 9, 2025
– All 10 semi-finalists will be invited to the award ceremony.
– Each semi-finalist will be required to make a 5 to 10 min pitch of their proposal.
– Each semi-finalist may also set up a table with their project prototype or poster(s) (optional).
Judging Criteria
To maintain a sustainable edge, businesses must combine economic interests with environmental and social values. That is why we expect our semifinalists to address aspects of their companies that will positively impact our society and environment.
Judges shall look for teams’ plans for managing their resources to their advantage and the means with which they intend to use the information to make a durable and transformative impact in a world where human capital is abundant. Providing employment opportunities and import substitution should be a focus.
Judges shall look for teams’ plans for managing their resources to their advantage and the means with which they intend to use the information to make a durable and transformative impact in a world where human capital is abundant. Providing employment opportunities and import substitution should be a focus.
Competition Format
The competition shall consist of two rounds and the final ceremony, as follows:
3.1 Qualifying round
- All registered teams that meet the submission criteria shall participate in the qualifying round.
- Participants shall submit their proposals using the portal available on the www.ippus.org website. All submissions may include an approximate 2-minute video of the idea. An option will also be available on the portal to include an attachment providing brief details of the proposal. Please note that including such an attachment is optional.
- Based on multiple stages of reviewing and grading by judges, the top 10 teams will be selected for advancement to the semi-final round.
- All participants of the qualifying round may request written feedback from the judges.
3.2 Semi-final Round
- Teams selected for this round will be required to submit their detailed business plan, as per the requirements specified in Section 8.3, along with a 10-to-15-minute video presentation by the team (the submission of video is optional, but highly encouraged.)
- Participants will be given a schedule to virtually present their project to the judges.
The team will have 30 minutes to present their proposal, followed by 15 minutes for questions and answers. During the finals, judges will focus on the team’s claims for venture’s viability, sustainability, and its impact on the society especially in terms of jobs creation.
- All 10 semi-finalists will be invited to participate in the in-person final round as per the schedule of Section 2
3.3 Semi-Final Meeting Norms
- All virtual meetings will be done either via Zoom or MS Teams.
- During the meetings, all team members should be present for the video meeting/recording. If any of the member is sick (or not present), his medical certificate should be submitted at the NVC portal or via e-mail to info@ippus.org.
- Teams can pitch their ideas using supporting materials such as slides, diagrams, and other audio/visual demonstrations.
- During the meetings, a moderator shall be available to keep time and to make sure that time distribution is fair among participants and judges.
- The virtual meetings will be recorded and available for later viewing.
3.4 Final Round
- All 10 semi-finalists are required to attend the final round event in person at a venue, the location of which will be decided at a later time.
- Each team will be required to give a 5-minute pitch of their proposal.
- The top three positions will be announced and awarded at the event.
3.5 Team Makeup
- A competing team may comprise of up to 5 partners, with at least one member above 18 years in age.
- Students and non-students can make a team.
- A team lead should be designated to avoid any communication misunderstandings. This team member will be the only point of contact with the organizers of NVC.
3.6 Competition Judges
Our panel of judges is comprised of seasoned professionals from leading industries. In addition to scoring the venture ideas, the judges shall provide invaluable feedback, guidance and mentoring to the participants, using their vast industry experience
Contest Rules
The competition rules are available here.