Terms & Conditions of NICE Aarohana Business Plan Competition

India’s 1st & only Business Plan Competition for Cultural Enterprises

  • 5 NICE Sectors: Health, Wellness and Beauty | Food and Beverages | Home Decor and Furnishings | Fashion and Accessories | Tourism
  • 2 Categories: EARLY: Idea stage ventures at Zero revenue – startups up to Rs.50 Lakh revenue/annum | GROWTH: Companies at greater than Rs.50 Lakh revenue/annum

Important Dates

Jan 5th- Jan 26th: Applications Open: Download Pitch Deck & Prepare | Submit on the Website before Jan 26th.
Feb 10th – Feb 25th: Shortlisted Finalists are Informed- Mentorship for Final Pitch Practice Scheduled
Feb 26th & 27th: Finalists Pitch to Jury
March 1st: Winners Announced- Mentorship Program Start

Awards

Cash Prizes:

CategoryEARLYGROWTH
 1st Prize Rs. 75000  Rs. 75000
 2nd Prize Rs. 50000  Rs. 50000
 3rd Prize Rs. 25000  Rs. 25000
  • Networking with a community of cultural entrepreneurs
  • Access to investors
  • Access to industry experts for guidance & mentorship
  • Publicity

 

Eligibility

  • Open to Indian companies or enterprises incorporated in India Or to be incorporated in India by June 30th, 2021.
  • Open to  Cultural Enterprises.
  • Click for more details on Values & Definition of Cultural Enterprise & Read the Blogs
  • Only the founding team/entrepreneur(s) must apply
  • If you have not registered earlier with NICE Org or attended any Aarohana mentoring session, you can also apply
  • If you have not formed a company yet, you can apply, and if you win, ensure to form the company in India by 30/06/21
  • Prize money will be transferred only to a registered entity’s Bank account in India and not to any individual account
  • Prize money is subject to Indian taxation laws as applicable & necessary documentation for Income Tax  will be provided
  • Prize money will be transferred within a week of receiving all the necessary details of the registered entity and Bank account
  • The business plan deck submitted for your application must be an original piece of work
  • Any plagiarism will lead to disqualification

Application

  • All applications will be accepted from Jan 5th to Jan 26th, 2021 ONLY on the Website and in the prescribed Pitch Deck format.
  • Please follow the instructions on the Pitch Deck for filling up the slides.
  • For any clarifications during preparing your pitch deck, please email: aarohana@niceorg.in
  • Please submit only ONE application per startup/ idea.

 

Selection

  • 2 step process; First the NICE team will filter all applications
  • Next, the selection panel comprising of industry experts will shortlist 10 finalists each in EARLY & GROWTH categories
  • Feb 10th- Feb 25th: Finalists are mentored and coached on final pitching
  • Feb 26th: 10 finalists in EARLY category pitch to the Final Jury who select the top 3
  • Feb 27th: 10 finalists in GROWTH category pitch to the Final Jury who select the top 3
  • All decisions taken are final and not open to any dispute in any form. 
  • NICE Org will engage with the winners & finalists post-award for mentorship, access to investors & advice.

Information & Privacy

  • NICE Org will ensure the privacy & security of all applications
  • We will delete all the applications 30 days from processing the results
  • Applicants must save their original versions