The Business Plan Competition segment, is the second component of the GAPBiosciences Programme. Applications are open to individuals/teams with bioscience technologies that are technically sound and beyond proof of concept. During the competition, semi-finalists work with mentors in various fields to develop a bankable business plan over the course of approximately five months.

The Business Plan Competition includes the Executive Education Week, an intensive week-long programme run by Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. This programme focuses on subjects unique to bioscience start-up companies by developing behaviours and skills within the teams to drive performance and create long-term value. At the end of the programme, the semi-finalist teams present their business plans to a panel of selected judges in a closed forum. The winning team will receive the following: Incubation at The Innovation Hub’s BioPark@Gauteng or associated incubators in other provinces for a period of one year where all rental and associated costs will be covered, excluding selected operational costs A seed fund of R 3.2 Million to be shared across all GAP Categories. Mentors with whom they will work as they further develop their business Business support (Legal, Intellectual Property, Technical, Commercial, etc.)