SUBMIT YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH!
Raising capital on your own can be difficult and time consuming. Register today and get a chance to pitch your business LIVE during the Belize Investment Summit 2023 and win funding! A good video is a great way to get noticed! If you would like to share a video, here are some tips:
- Video should be no more than 2 minutes long
- Be confident and informative
- Speak Loud and Clearly
- Display your product or service clearly
- Say why investing in your small business would be a great idea
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The Belize Investment Summit-Business Pitch seeks to provide funding to businesses whose productive activities demonstrate high scalability potential in three different categories in order to create widespread and equitable economic impact. Fifteen (15) business ideas, five (5) businesses per category, will be shortlisted to present their live business pitch at the Belize Investment Summit in San Pedro, Belize on September 1, 2023. Shortlisted applicants will be assigned a business advisor who will assist them in enhancing their live business pitch.
The winner of each category will win a maximum amount as listed below:
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Shortlisting Eligibility Criteria
The funding shall be used only for expenses to test the willingness of customers to pay and use the product or service.
• Operational costs to perform market validation activities:
➢ To disseminate the product/service to potential clients.
➢ To attract new customers or users.
➢ To retain customer loyalty.
➢ To generate references or viral growth of the client base.
• Investments in productive assets: machines, equipment, tools, or others.
• Raw materials and inputs for production.
• Payments for food safety, nutritional studies, and others.
• Design and printing of marketing and sales material such as logo, packaging, etc.
• To promote business practices that favor women's economic rights
• Training, Advisory and Business Support Services to develop marketing and sales strategies, cost definition, validation, testing and metrics analysis.
The fund do not finance the following activities:
• Expenses incurred prior to submitting live business pitch.
• Payment of debts and taxes.
• Purchase of shares and other financial instruments and investments.
• Any asset not directly related to entrepreneurship (and its phase).
• Salary or entrepreneurial team fees
The entrepreneurs will submit video pitches to BELTRAIDE by July 31, 2023
- Disadvantage & Vulnerable Groups (including Women and Youths):
- Belizean Citizen/Residents, legal entities with Belizean majority shareholding
- Age 18 or older
- Female headed initiatives, at- risk youth led, and indigenous persons.
- Operating less than 2 years but have a market and are seeking to increase sales, introduce a new product, or venture into a new market.
- Businesses engaged in sectors such as Agriculture and Agro-Processing, Tourism, Light Manufacturing, Creative Industry, Professional Service Provider, especially innovative ideas such as repurposing, upscaling, and recycling material.
- Entrepreneur who has not received non-refundable funds from BELTRAIDE in the last 12 months.
- Maturing Enterprises:
- Belizean Citizen/Residents, legal entities with Belizean Majority shareholding
- Age 18 or older
- Operating more than 3 years and who require assistance in seeking opportunities for them to expand their business or in identifying the problem they are facing and seeking possible solutions.
- Businesses engaged in sectors such as Aquaculture, Tourism, Renewable Energy, BPO’s, Light Manufacturing, Creative Industry, Information Technology and
- Communication Services, Agriculture and Agro-Processing
- Entrepreneur who has not received non-refundable funds from BELTRAIDE in the last 12 months.
- Exporters, including Near-Export, or Export- ready Enterprises:
- Belizean Citizen/Residents, legal entities with Belizean Majority shareholding
- Age 18 or older
- Operating more than three (3) years and who demonstrate scalability potential, ability to improve capabilities and capacities for business competitiveness and to penetrate new or existing markets.
- Businesses within the Export/Trade Sector such as Aquaculture, Tourism, Renewable Energy, BPO’s, Light Manufacturing, Information Technology and Communication Services, Agriculture and Agro-Processing.
- Entrepreneur who has not received non-refundable funds from BELTRAIDE in the last 12 months.
The funding shall be used only for expenses to test the willingness of customers to pay and use the product or service.
• Operational costs to perform market validation activities:
➢ To disseminate the product/service to potential clients.
➢ To attract new customers or users.
➢ To retain customer loyalty.
➢ To generate references or viral growth of the client base.
• Investments in productive assets: machines, equipment, tools, or others.
• Raw materials and inputs for production.
• Payments for food safety, nutritional studies, and others.
• Design and printing of marketing and sales material such as logo, packaging, etc.
• To promote business practices that favor women's economic rights
• Training, Advisory and Business Support Services to develop marketing and sales strategies, cost definition, validation, testing and metrics analysis.
The fund do not finance the following activities:
• Expenses incurred prior to submitting live business pitch.
• Payment of debts and taxes.
• Purchase of shares and other financial instruments and investments.
• Any asset not directly related to entrepreneurship (and its phase).
• Salary or entrepreneurial team fees
The entrepreneurs will submit video pitches to BELTRAIDE by July 31, 2023