APPLICATIONS FOR KICK STARTER 2015 ARE NOW OPEN!
Kick Starter is a business planning competition and small grants program funded by the Macquarie Group Foundation for early stage social ventures established by students and Fellows of SSE Australia.
In 2015 Kick Starter will award Summarised Business Plan 6 x $10,000 grants (across two (no longer than 8 pages). rounds) to eligible SSE Australia • Be able to demonstrate: students and Fellows as part of — The start–up venture is a two stage process: innovative ie, it addresses • An initial 3–5 minute pitch in an unmet social or person to a judging panel; and community need; and/or • A 12–week business plan creates a new model or development stage involving way of meeting that need; mentor support by a small and/or draws on existing team of Sydney–based innovations and tailors that Macquarie directors. to meet a local need. — The grant will be leveraged Applicants must: in order to access • Be an SSE Australia Fellow additional funding support. or current student. — The applicant’s ability • Have an innovative social to engage relevant venture either at pilot or partners in the innovation start–up phase that has design, development and preferably not received more implementation of the than $25,000 in funding and social venture. can demonstrate at least 25% of the venture’s revenue will be derived from trading income. • Be available on dedicated Pitch Days and provide a 2–page project overview with summarised budget. Finalists will be required to submit a
people powered change
KICK STARTER 2015 STAGES & IMPORTANT DATES: ROUND 2 STAGE
DATES
Expression of Interest (EOI) Process: Submit an EOI online (click here) to enable us to assess your eligibility for the Round One Pitch sessions.
EOI deadline 5pm June 26. Shortlisted applicants notified by June 29 and advised of Round One Pitch Day details
Kick Starter Information Briefing: Teleconference to answer questions regarding Pitch Day and Kick Starter process.
July 2 at 6pm or July 3 at 1pm
Pitch Day: Shortlisted applicants do a 3–5 minute pitch to the judging panel on your venture as well as submit a Project Summary and Current/ Proposed Budget Summary (no more than 2 pages in length).
Melbourne: July 22 Sydney: July 23 Brisbane: July 24 Finalists announced by July 29.
Business Plan Development: 12 finalists are assigned a small team of Sydney–based Macquarie directors to assist in the development of a Summarised Business Plan for your venture (no more than 8 pages in length).
August 24–November 13
Optional Sydney Hackathon: Finalists are invited to present their social ventures and key enterprise challenges as part of a 2–hour brainstorm led by their mentors and attended by teams of Macquarie directors from a range of business backgrounds.
September 4, 9–1pm
Final submission of Summarised Business Plan.
Deadline 5pm November 13
Announcement of three grant winners.
Late November
Funding available to grant winners.
January 2016
Submit your expression of interest here. Deadline June 26, 5pm.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Does my organisation need to have DGR status? No, it is not necessary for your organisation to have DGR status to be eligible for this grant. What is involved on Pitch Day?
If you have been shortlisted from the EOI process, you will be notified of the Pitch Day details (CBD venue and time).
Pitches need to be: —No longer than 5 minutes. — Engaging, interesting and inspiring. — Accompanied by a 2–page document covering Project Summary and Current/ Proposed Budget Summary. Can I use a PowerPoint on Pitch Day? No, the use of PowerPoint is not permitted on Pitch Day. But you are invited to bring along anything that will help you present your project in an engaging and creative way.
sse.org.au
What if I am unable to participate in person on Pitch Day and need to present via tele conference? We will do our best to make this possible, pending venue and technology availability. Can I still participate if I am not based in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane? Yes, we will seek to coordinate a pitch via teleconference/ Skype. However it is preferable if you are successful and are matched with a mentor team that you are able to travel to Sydney for at least one face–to–face meeting (travel support is available). My organisation has received over $25,000 in funding. Can I still pitch? You can still pitch if your organisation has secured more than $25,000. However, greater consideration will be given to those projects which have limited financial backing.
Is SSE involved in making selections? SSE is not involved in the decision making process and no SSE staff member will participate in the Judging Panels. What is involved in the Round Two summarised business plan? Further details will be provided to those who successfully advance to this stage.
KICK STARTER 2014 AWARD WINNERS
Chris Kemp Bottle for Botol
Nicole Peterman Help Me With It
Joady McManus Families Talking Depression
Bottle for Botol is leading a The mission of Help Me With Families Talking Depression’s generational change away It is to connect individuals who need help with individuals mission is to be the champion from single-use plastics. Their who can volunteer their time of the partner, family members concept is simple, they link to fix, teach, cook, care, shop, and friends of anxiety and schools in Australia with schools transport, sort, garden and depression sufferers in the in Indonesia, to explore some more. It’s not about giving community, the system and of the effects that plastic waste things, but giving time and the home. It provides an is having on marine life both online resource and a discreet locally and globally. Students then sharing expertise. Help Me With It is a social innovation in members forum to ask design logos for stainless steel water bottles that will be sold for volunteering. The organisation’s questions to someone who has vision answers the question been in their shoes. When the $20 through their schools, their family are given support, they website and selected retailers. For ‘Who can help me with it?’. are more able, and willing, to every bottle sold in Australia, one “Kick Starter requires provide a supportive home for is donated to a student at an participants to write a their loved one to resume their Indonesian partner school… a Bottle for Botol. In just 18 months strong application, deliver a place within their family life, compelling pitch and revise community and society. they have been able to expand their Business Plan within set the program into 15 schools in Australia and 14 within Indonesia timelines – healthy pressure “Kick Starter is the first funding and motivation to consider Families Talking Depression reaching over 13,000 students. “The Kick Starter program was a game changer for our organisation. With the help of our mentor we were able to create a Business Plan that established exactly where we sit within the sustainability education sector in relation to our peers and laid out a logical plan of expansion over the next 3 years. Having that plan successfully reviewed by the Kick Starter judging panel has given us the powerful combination of credibility and belief to confidently execute the work required to make that vision a reality.”
all aspects of your business! My mentor assisted me with a task separate to my Business Plan which was extremely valuable”. Nicole Peterman www.helpmewithit.org.au
has received. The Business Plan and the mentoring enabled an idea and a dream become reality. The Business Plan gave me the insight and momentum to have a clear way forward and be a useful and insightful document for future business opportunities. My mentor challenged me, kept me focused and on track. As a solo start–up it was easy to be discouraged but my mentor’s belief in me, and my abilities, gave me the courage and confidence to take my dream to the next level.”
Joady McManus www.familiestalkingdepression.org.au
Chris Kemp www.bottleforbotol.org
sse.org.au info@sse.org.au twitter.com/sseaustralia facebook.com/sseaustralia instagram.com/sseaustralia