GLEQ will be giving out the next $100,000 SmartZone Award in the Spring 2012 cycle of the GLEQ Business Plan Competition. The award will be presented on June 12, 2012. There are extra steps and there are other qualifications to join the SmartZone Competition.

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The Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest (GLEQ) announces the addition of a Food Safety Award and the return of NextEnergy with an Advanced Energy Award to participants in its business plan competition.

These two award categories join several others totaling a prize give-away of over $210,000 on June 12 at Entrepreneur Connect.

Cash awards breakdown into the following categories:

Emerging Company 1st Place - $25K, 2nd Place - $15K, and 3rd Place - $10K.

New Business Idea 1st Place - $5K, 2nd Place - $2.5K, and 3rd Place - $1K.

SmartZone - $100K

Sector Awards
Food Safety - $10K
IT Network Safety & Web Based Applications - $10K
Medical Device - $10K
Advanced Energy - $10K
Advanced Manufacturing - $12.5K

Emerging Company, New Business Idea and SmartZone participants may also be elegible to win one or more of the Sector Awards.

The Fall 2011 GLEQ Business Plan Award Winners were announced at ACE'12 on January 31:

Spirit of Entrepreneurship - Jessica Tompkins, Two Bows, LLC, Iron Mountain

Coach Recognition Award - Lee Gorman, Barton Consulting Services, Ann Arbor

Emerging Company

First Place - BioPhotonic Solutions, Inc., Lansing
Second Place - Phenometrics, Inc., Lansing
Third Place - GANTEC, Midland

New Business Idea

First Place - SurClean, Wixom
Second Place - myHygia, LLC, Rochester Hills
Third Place - Menlo Park Software LLC, Ann Arbor

Register today for Entrepreneur Connect on Tuesday, June 12.

- General Pass $35
- Entrepreneur Table Top Display $35
- Student Pass - $10

Select Events tab above. GLEQ participants and their coaches are welcome to attend the Awards Event as guests of GLEQ. Please send an e-mail to Diane@GLEQ.org to be added to the GLEQ guest list for the Awards Event.

Entrepreneurs across Michigan are invited to join the GLEQ Business Plan Competition in the spring.

Registration Opens: Monday, February 6

Registration Closes: Wednesday, March 28

New Business Idea Executive Summaries Due: Monday, May 14

Emerging Company Business Plans Due: Monday, May 14

SmartZone Award Documents Due: Monday, April 30

Awards Presented: GLEQ Awards Event, June 12, 2012, James B. Henry Center, MSU, Lansing

At ACE'12, Michigan Growth Capital Symposium awarded a presenting company slot to the top emerging company winner, BioPhotonics Solutions of Lansing.