2023 Innovation market Now accepting applications

What is the Innovation Market?

Great Ideas…We’ve all had them, but many ideas never leave the idea phase. Innovation Market strives to bridge that gap from inception to reality! Innovation Market is organized by Siouxland Growth Organization (SGO) and is Siouxland's largest business idea competition. Individuals submit their ideas for a chance to win start-up funds!

The Market has 3 main goals:

1. Cultivate positive action in the community by connecting energized people, as well as introducing like-minded leaders who are excited about growth and change for Siouxland!
2. This project grew out of a “Fill Empty Spaces” idea. SGO saw a need to showcase and fill vacant spaces within Siouxland and that is exactly what Innovation Market is accomplishing!
3. It’s all about the ideas. Innovation Market enables entrepreneurs to take ideas, no matter how big or small, and grow those ideas into business operations. We offer a cash prize to the first, second, and third place winners of Innovation Market as seed money to help foster their business idea into a reality!

Follow our Innovation Market Facebook page for continued updates about the event and additional entrepreneurial features!

Innovation Market Details & Rules

Step 1 (All Submissions)
Attend the Innovation Market event on Thursday, May 18, 2023, from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. at Blue Bird Flats. Each idea submission will appear anonymously at this event. Each attendee at the Innovation Market event will receive a voting ballot and will vote for which five ideas they want to move on to the SGO member pitch event (there will be a bin at the event for ballots to be placed into). The voting process is ANONYMOUS for both individuals submitting ideas and individuals voting. If you are submitting an idea, you are not allowed to claim or pitch your idea to attendees until after the voting process has concluded. The ballots will be counted and the five finalists will be announced that evening at approximately 6:00 p.m. after the keynote speakers.  

Step 2 (Five Finalists)
The five Innovation Market finalists will be required to submit a 3-page business plan before the final presentation at the SGO member pitch event. The finalists will have from the Innovation Market until the day of the Monday of the week of the pitch event to complete the business plan. This will be used to guide their final pitch presentation. The business plan must be completed and submitted by Monday, June 19, 2023.

Step 3 (Five Finalists)
The five finalists will present their ideas and business plan to the members of SGO the evening of Thursday, June 22, 2023 (location TBD) where SGO members and top event sponsors will cast a ballot to select winners. The first, second, and third place winners will be announced that evening. You must be present to pitch your idea and to win!!

To be eligible, your idea must be a for-profit entity, your business/idea must reside within a 50-mile radius of Sioux City, IA, your business/idea must have started after May 18, 2022, and you must be 18 years of age or older.

Questions? Contact Ashley Vande Brake or Sydney McManamy Hermann

Ashley Vande Brake
Innovation Market Board Chair, SGO
712. 301. 5527

siouxlandgo@gmail.com

Sydney McManamy Hermann

President, SGO
712. 301. 3191

siouxlandgo@gmail.com

Get excited for the 2023 Innovation Market - we sure are!!