North Central Region
The North Central region, based in Minneapolis, was founded in 2010. The region covers Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. In its innagural year, the North Central region is looking to establish itself with volunteers, sponsors and contestants in all areas of the region.
We welcome your participation as a contestant, volunteer, sponsor or partner. Please contact us with questions or inquiries.
How to Enter the Competition
How to Get Involved
How to Become a Sponsor
How to Enter the North Central Competition
As part of the registration process for the North Central Competition, you will need to satisfy certain eligibility requirements, recruit a team, and draft an executive summary.Step 1: Determine if your team meets the eligibility requirements. The key requirements are summarized here:
- All applications must fit one of the competition's six clean technology category definitions
- All applicants must have a team of at least two individuals
- All entries must be a startup with less than $1,000,000 from private third party funding (from equity investors such as angel investors and venture capital firms)
- All entries must be a startup with less than $5,000,000 from all other sources of funding (grants, family and friends, and your own pocket); this sum is in addition to and separate from the limit on private third party funding
- You must pay the application fee by the application deadline
- At least one applicant team member must be a United States resident, citizen, or legal alien (e.g. F1, H1 visas).
Step 3: Pay the entry fee.
- Shortly after you pay the entry fee, we will match you with a mentor
- Recruit your team members. You will need at least two members per team to compete.
- Apply for a mentor to help you with your online application.
- The earlier you pay your application fee the earlier you will be eligible for mentoring assistance.
- Complete your online application. Enter the details in the online interface; you may edit your entry as often as you like up to the application deadline on May 24, 2011 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
How to Get Involved
Do you want to meet and work with others to help clean technology entrepreneurs succeed? The North Central Cleantech Open is a 100% volunteer effort, and your help is essential to making this region an on-going success.
Check out current programs and volunteer needs.
As a new region, not all volunteer categories are applicable. The following are volunteer needs specific to the North Central Cleantech Open:
- Contestant Recruitment
- Events
- Judging
- Mentor Program
- Sustainability
- Sponsorship
- Training Program
- Alumni Program
The North Central Cleantech Open has committees organized around these various volunteer categories. To get involved or to find out more ways to volunteer, please contact us.
How to Become a Sponsor
The North Central Cleantech Open is grateful for the generous support of our sponsors and partners who have made the competition possible. We encourage companies, institutions and individuals to reap the benefits of sponsorship while giving innovative clean technology businesses the opportunity to succeed in the marketplace. As a sponsor, you will receive:
- Early access to information about cutting-edge new technologies and companies
- Opportunities to meet key clean tech industry contact, not only from the North Central Cleantech Open but also from the other six regions in the national competition
- Exposure on the Cleantech Open's website and marketing materials and at major events
- Invitations to VIP events
- Association with the largest clean technology and renewable energy business competition in the United States
For a list of current and previous Cleantech Open sponsors, please click here.
There are a variety of ways to get involved on the sponsor level. You may view the benefits of all levels here. We are happy to meet with you to discuss your involvement in our organization.
For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact us.
