Main categories
- Idea-Phase plans are for firms that are still being design, or are recently launched. Companies in this category can range from pre-revenue to up to two years from first revenue. The application fee for this category is $100.
- Venture-Phase plans are for firms that are actively seeking professional investment right now. These firms can be in either the design phase (pre-revenue) or be up to five years from the point of first revenue. Many of our venture-phase entrants are entering a new market, working on a new product line, or otherwise significantly pivoting form their existing plans. A number of our reading judges are professional investors, and will be reading in this category. The application fee for this category is $250.

Deadline Summary Round: October 12th

Why Entrepreneurs Should Enter our Competitions
The Feedback
The William James Foundation works with more than 500 reading judges, who are world-class experts in sustainable business. For the past several years, we have averaged twenty pages of feedback (from 8 to 12 different judges) per round. This is professional-level peer review of your business ideas from experts who have been down your path before. So, if you’re just putting an idea to paper, or you’re three years in and drawing up plans for international expansion, we can help.

The Connections.
3/4ths of our reading judges chose to sign their scorecards, giving you the option to connect with these industry leaders as potential mentors, customers, investors, and champions.

The In-Kind Prizes
Every year, some of the top names in sustainable business have shown their support for The William James Foundation by offering their professional services and products to our top teams. They get to help the next generation, and receive promotion and access to new clients. While the 2011-12 In-Kind prizes have not yet been set, they will be worth more than $100,000. (Last year’s prizes are listed here.)

The Cash Prizes.
The top three teams in each of our two main prize categories (Idea-Phase and Venture-Phase) will each divide up at least $10,000 in cash prizes. Additional prize categories will offer significant cash prizes as well, which will be announced over the course of the year.

More information: www.williamjamesfoundation.org/howtoenter