The 2011 North Shore Business Plan Competition opened its doors to applications on January 21st. Out of the thirty-two entries (twenty of which submitted detailed business plans) that were reviewed by a panel of judges, six semi finalists were announced from the pool on March 17th. The six companies selected included everything from technology based companies to more traditional specialty retail ventures, and were narrowed down to just three finalist companies on March 31st.
The companies have been competing for $10,000 in cash awards: $5,000 for first prize, $3,000 for second prize, and $2,000 for third prize. In taking home the winnings, they commit to locating to the North Shore and growing to at least a 5 person team within two years.
Today, the winners were announced:
In 3rd place and taking home $2k:
Gloucester based Groupize, which provides state-of-the art group travel planning, booking and socializing. Their technology and experts assist you in putting together a meaningful and flawless group travel experience.
In 2nd place and taking home $3k:
Marblehead based Tides Medical, which sells high-quality, complex orthopedic implants for joint and spinal surgery directly to hospitals.
In 1st place and taking home $5k:
Ipswich based Notch Session Ale, which is capitalizing on the popularity of craft beers by introducing a lower-alcohol beer that British pubs call session ale because people can enjoy a longer socializing “session” without becoming inebriated.
Notch Session has actually been a bit of a belle in the tech and startup ecosystem here in Boston. Earlier this year the brewery partnered with Boston’s social beer mobile app, RedPint, to provide users with free swag for drinking their brews. The promotion with RedPint coincided with the breweries bottle release party on March 1st.
“Winning this competition validates our belief that serious beer drinkers are ready for ale that delivers flavor without high alcohol content,” said Notch Session president, Chris Lohring. “We’re thrilled, especially as the competition was of such high quality; any of the finalists could easily have won.”
The North Shore Business Plan Competition is unique in that it is open to all companies (rather than just technology focused ones) at any stage in their development. It is sponsored by several local and national companies including TD Bank and organized by the North Shore Small Business Incubator & Growth Center at Salem State College.
Congrats to all the winners!
