$5000 prize entry deadline extended to Nov. 4 for EngenuitySC’s $5,000 Ignite! 2016 Ideas Contest

Sponsored by Nephron Pharmaceuticals

The deadline has been extended to Nov. 4 for local innovators and entrepreneurs to enter EngenuitySC’s $5,000 Ignite! Ideas Contest, sponsored by Nephron Pharmaceuticals: http://engenuitysc.com/ignite/ignite-ideas-contest.

Any and all startups, small business owners, social entrepreneurs, savvy students, big thinkers and go-getters are encouraged to pitch forward-thinking, grassroots ideas that will contribute to landscape of the Midlands region.

The winner of the $5,000 Ignite! Ideas Contest, sponsored by Nephron Pharmaceuticals, will be selected via live voting and announced on site after contestant video presentations at Ignite! in Columbia, S.C., on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the First Base Building at BullStreet, adjacent to Spirit Communications Park in downtown Columbia, S.C.

A nonprofit economic development organization chaired by Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and University of South Carolina President Dr. Harris Pastides, EngenuitySC hosts Ignite! to celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and economic competitiveness in the Midlands.

How does it work?
Contestants must submit a two-minute video thoroughly describing their innovative, exciting or just plain awesome concept to positively impact the Midlands, outlining the intended use of the $5,000 prize money. Contestants upload the video to a service such as YouTube or Vimeo, then submit the video link and short entry form by Nov. 4, 2016 at http://engenuitysc.com/ignite/ignite-ideas-contest. While the ideas are what really matter, the videos will be shared online with potential voters, so quality is important.

The contestants with the top five vetted submissions will present their ideas in person to judges at EngenuitySC, who will vote on the top three finalists. From there, the three finalists’ videos will be shared online and at Ignite! on November 16, where event attendees will vote in a live voting session, selecting the winning idea. After votes are tallied – mere minutes later – the winner will be announced live on stage in front of hundreds of local business and community leaders and will receive the $5,000 Ignite! Ideas Contest check from Nephron Pharmaceuticals.

Who can enter?
•South Carolinians living in the Midlands (Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter and Saluda Counties)
•Individuals
•Organizations (if entering on behalf of an organization, list your pitch person as the main contact)
•Students (including those who are entering the USC Proving Ground competition, which is limited to the USC community)
•Sorry; past Ignite! Ideas Contest winners are not eligible to enter.
To learn more about Ignite!, visit http://www.engenuitysc.com/ignite and follow the #IgniteCAE hashtag and @EngenuitySC on Twitter.

About EngenuitySC
Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., EngenuitySC is an economic development nonprofit focused on enhancing our region’s competitiveness and prosperity. In partnership with business, government, education and community leaders, EngenuitySC specializes in regional collaboration and project management; the activation of local industry clusters; and regional research, analysis and marketing. For more information, visit http://www.engenuitysc.com.

Facebook: Facebook.com/EngenuitySC | Twitter: @EngenuitySC