GLEQ Frequently Asked Questions We have posted answers to common questions concerning the Great Lakes Entrepreneur Quest (GLEQ) competition. Questions are categorized for your convenience.

1) General GLEQ Questions
	Q. What is the GLEQ Business Plan Competition? It’s a business plan competition for Michigan entrepreneurs. Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest (GLEQ) has been running two cycles of the competition each year for ten years. GLEQ matches participants with business coaches that advise them as they write their business plans. Every plan is evaluated by and receives written feedback from venture capital and angel investors, business development professionals and successful entrepreneurs. The fall cycle concluded with the awards presented at ACE’11 on January 31,2011.
	Q. What are the competition categories? Entrepreneurs select a competition category based on their venture’s stage of development. The New Business Idea category is appropriate for early-stage ventures and entrepreneurs exploring and developing new business ideas. The Emerging Company category is for revenue-generating businesses and ventures in the initial stages of commercializing technology. Ventures ready for pre-seed capital may qualify to compete in the $100,000 SmartZone Award category. Participants select a category when registering, but can switch among categories until business plans are due.
	Q. What are the prizes in each category? Both the New Business Idea and Emerging Company categories have multiple cash awards. The top prize for New Business Idea is $5,000; for Emerging Company it’s $25,000. The $100,000 SmartZone Award is a pre-seed investment. Additional innovation and regional awards are available to participants in the New Business Idea and Emerging Company categories.
	Q. What business plan documents are required and when are they due? In the spring cycle of the competition, the following documents are required for each category: New Business Idea: 5-page Executive Summary – Due May 6 Emerging Company: 12-page Business Plan – Due May 6 SmartZone Award: Business Plan, Financials, SmartZone Letter of Recommendation – Due April 22
	Q. Who can join the competition? The competition is basically open to every citizen in Michigan or that is part of a business located in Michigan. Check out our Eligibility and Prizes page for more information.
	Q. How do entrepreneurs join the GLEQ Business Plan Competition? Entrepreneurs can sign up for the 2011 spring competition on the GLEQ website at www.gleq.org. Registration is open until Friday, March 4. There is a registration fee of $25 to participate in the Emerging Company or New Business Idea categories. The registration fee is $50 for the SmartZone Award category. The registration fee includes attendance at the GLEQ Awards Banquet by all team participants. Below are the different registration pages: Team Registration page New User Registration page Coach Registration page Judge Registration page
	Q. What kinds of resources are available for entrepreneurs? This site has past GLEQ training presentations, many statewide support organizations and their contact information, suggested readings, and recommended websites. One can explore these topics on the Entrepreneur Resources page.
	Q. How do I contact GLEQ? You can contact GLEQ by e-mail or phone. Our e-mail address is contact@gleq.org. Our phone number is 734-527-9151.
	Q. How is one evaluated in this competition? There are judges that evaluate your New Business Idea or Emerging Company according to set guidelines that you can find on the Evaluation and Scoring page.
2) New Business Idea Competition
3) Emerging Business Competition
4) SmartZones Competition