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

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) encourages 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.

2023-24 Schedule

October 26, 2023, 11:30 a.m.
Kick-Off event, McKenna Hall 117

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

January 9–February 29, 2024
Twice weekly resource sessions to help you develop and write your social venture business plan, every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in OMH 127. You may attend sessions on an à la carte basis or take the series for credit as BUS 3682.

Due by February 6, 2024, 5 p.m.
Intent to Participate form due

Due by March 8, 2024, 5 p.m.
Submission Form and written plan due

Due by March 28, 2024, 5 p.m.
Team logo for website

April 10, 2024, 6 p.m. (tentative)
Coaching sessions for all competing teams, SPU Ames Library

Due by April 12, 2024, 5 p.m.
Pitch video and one-page executive summary due.

April 18, 2024, 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