Can a startup change the world? Can business be a catalyst for good?

19th annual social venture plan 

As a school deeply rooted in Christian faith and values, we’d like to think so. Further, as a Principles of Responsible Management (PRME) champion school, we’d like to encourage our students to think about how their entrepreneurial ideas might contribute to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

For those reasons and more, the Center for Applied Learning sponsors the annual Social Venture Plan Competition (SVPC), a unique business pitch event designed to encourage SPU students from a variety of majors to develop entrepreneurial projects with social impact.


Prime: Principles for Responsible Management Education, an initiative of the United Nations Global Compact

How It Works

The Social Venture Plan Competition (SVPC) asks teams of students from diverse disciplines to develop an entrepreneurial project that addresses dual bottom lines: social and financial. Participants tackle challenging social issues while proposing innovative ways to provide sustainable funding for their solutions through a business activity.

Businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and other community partners evaluate and score the plans, after which competitors pitch their projects to faculty, staff, students, and judges at a live trade-show display event on the SPU campus. The teams with the highest cumulative scores from the two phases of the competition win cash prizes.

2024-25 Schedule

November 14, 2024, 11:30 a.m.
Kick-Off event, McKenna Hall 117

  • Learn about the competition
  • Hear from former competitors
  • Free pizza!

January 6–March 5, 2025
Twice weekly resource sessions to help you develop and write your social venture business plan, every Monday and Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in OMH 118. You may attend sessions on an à la carte basis or take the series for credit as BUS 3682: Social Venture Planning.

Due by February 11, 2025, 5 p.m.
Intent to Participate form due

Due by March 7, 2025, 5 p.m.
Submission Form and written plan due

Due by March 28, 2025, 5 p.m.
Team information for website (specific items TBD)

April 9, 2025, 6 p.m. (tentative)
Coaching sessions for all competing teams, SPU Ames Library

Due by April 11, 2025, 5 p.m.
Pitch video and one-page executive summary due.

April 16, 2025, 2-6 p.m.
Social Venture Plan Competition Showcase, Upper Gwinn

Recap of Recent SVPC Showcase Winners

The results are in and the winners are . . .

20242023, 2022, 2021, 202020192018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014


For More Information

Contact the Center for Applied Learning at cal@spu.edu.

Partner:

Herbert B. Jones Foundation
The Scott & Kathleen Cummins Family Foundation

Investor:

Tschetter Group

Angel:

Northwest Center | People of all abilities

Supporter:

Highland Private Wealth Management
Pioneer Human Services: A chance for change
Skills Incorporated | Creating Jobs that Change Lives