We Welcome You to the Season's

Opening Launch Party

2024 HCC Business Plan Competition

Launch Party - Reception, Showcase & Orientation

Join us on Zoom - Thursday, January 11, 2024

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Who is invited?  

Proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs who are interested in applying for the 2024 HCC Business Plan Competition; competition leaders, trainers, sponsors, judges, advisors, community supporters and past HCC BPC winners, finalists and graduates!  

Come join us to mix, mingle and learn more from all parties involved! Meet past competition graduates, winners, our ecosystem partners, and competition leaders, trainers and advisors signing on for the 2024 HCC BPC Advisor Cohort.  

• 5:00 - 6:00 pm - Reception & Showcase.
• 6:00 - 7:00 pm - Orientation for interested competition applicants.

It's a celebration of all involved to showcase our past competition alumni and introduce all who make this outstanding competition possible. 

Welcome to those applying and to those considering applying for the 2024 HCC BPC during the January 5-26 Application period! This optional but awesome gathering is a great way to start the year and connect with our competition and entrepreneurial community! 

 For More & To RSVP Now

More January Activities for the 

2024 HCC Business Plan Competition

Our 17th Year!

2024 HCC Business Plan Competition 

Application Period Opens January 5

Prepare Now to Apply

The annual HCC Business Plan Competition is for Proposed, Startup and Existing Entrepreneurs. All accepted contestant teams get free training and advising late February through May to refine and polish their plans to start and/or grow their business.  The top five teams win prize money!  All graduating teams feel like winners because they all come out with the greatest value, a stronger written plan, slide deck and video to pursue their business goals and to seek funding. 

Are you ready to apply?  

Proposed and Startup* Entrepreneurs - Steps to Apply  

1) Complete One Prequalifying Class or Program and 

2) Attend the Financial Webinar/Workshop

3) Apply in January

Have you completed ONE of these Prequalifying Classes or Programs?

• Small Business Success Series by HCC^© - This is the one prerequisite program still available to take prior to choosing the applicants for 2024 Business Plan Competition.
• HCC Creating a Successful Business Plan Online Continuing Education Class
• Small Business Management - College Credit Class at HCC
• Entrepreneurship and Economic Development - College Credit Class at HCC
• Liftoff Houston Startup Competition
• Houston Area Urban League Small Business University
• University of Houston SURE Program

If you still need a class/program there will be a Small Business Success Series by HCC^© offered in Jan-Feb 2024. This is the last available class that you could take and complete as a prerequisite for the 2024 Business Plan Competition. Scroll down for information to sign up for this series.

If you still need the financial workshop/webinar sign up for one of the January financial webinars. Then submit a strong application January 5-26. Have you completed the above already? Then take a sneak peak at Application questions and get started on your answers before the Application period opens! 

* You are considered to be a Startup Entrepreneur for the purposes of our competition if you have not yet achieved six continuous months of net profit prior to, during or since the pandemic.

Existing Entrepreneurs - Steps to Apply

1) Financial Webinar/Workshop - Sign Up Now for a January Virtual Webinar & attend it.

2) Apply

All Applicants Should Submit a Strong Application between January 5 - January 26

Ready to start working on your application? Our Competition Website gives you a sneak peak at the application's business concept questions, if you'd like to start working up your answers!  

See link below for past winners, competition structure, alumni success stories and more. Look here for more on 2024 in the coming weeks as we move toward January activities!

www.hccs.edu/businessplancompetition

Scroll down to sign up for January 2024 activities

and for the full 2024 Competition Schedule!

For proposed, startup and existing business owners. A two-and-a-half hour webinar that sets you up for success. Know your numbers and plan right for 2024!

This virtual webinar is a prerequisite for the team lead of all teams applying for the 2024 HCC Business Plan Competition. Other entrepreneurs are also welcome!

Featured Topics:

• Understanding the Primary Purpose of your Business
• How to Generate Revenue from your Business Idea
• Understanding concepts such as Burn-rate, Breakeven, and Cash-Flow
• Determining Cash Needs of Business
• Financing Cash Needs
• Financial Record Keeping



Funding Panel - Learn and ask questions from our financial resource partners.

Event Fee: Free to all entrepreneurs 

Choose One of the Following Financial Webinar Dates and Register Now: 

Thursday, January 18, 2024, 2:00pm - 4:30pm



Wednesday, January 24, 2024, 10:30am - 1:00pm

Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 6:00pm - 8:30pm

For those Proposed and Startup entrepreneurs taking the Small Business Success Series by HCC© as a prerequisite to apply for the 2024 HCC Business Plan Competition ("Competition"), you can apply for the competition prior to the start of the series but be sure to register for this series as well and begin attending it to complete all five Saturdays within the series. If your application is chosen for the competition, your acceptance will be conditional upon successful completion of this series. 

Register Now - https://hcc.idloom.events/SBSS2024

2024 HCC Business Plan Competition Timeline

 Apply in January - Plans Due in May - Prizes Awarded in June

Sign Up Now for January Activities!

www.hccs.edu/businessplancompetition

Thank You Again to our

2023 HCC Business Plan Competition Sponsors

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

BPC Alumni Sponsors

In-Kind Sponsors

More About Each 2023 Competition Sponsor

Announcing 2024 Sponsors Soon! 

More about our Sponsors in Upcoming Newsletters!

More News From

Quick Update - Our Success is Your Success!

Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship

Fall 2023 Graduating Class Pics

Cohort 19 - Small Business Success Series by HCC©

for Veterans at HCC West Loop

Delivered by the Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives and

Center for Entrepreneurship at HCC Southwest

Cohort 20 - Virtual Small Business Success Series by HCC©

Delivered by the Glenda & David Regenbaum

Center for Entrepreneurship - HCC Northwest

Cohort 21 Spanish Small Business Success Series by HCC©

at the Mexican Consulate

Delivered by the HCC Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives and

Center for Entrepreneurship at HCC Southeast

Cohort 6 - HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling©

at HCC Alief Hayes

Delivered by the Glenda & David Regenbaum

Center for Entrepreneurship - HCC Northwest

Cohort 7 - Virtual HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling©

Delivered by the Glenda & David Regenbaum

Center for Entrepreneurship - HCC Northwest

About the Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship

HCC Northwest

OUR MISSION: To help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

We do this by offering workshops, seminars, summits, classes and competitive training and advising, while also providing practical knowledge, resources and connections. We are also known for three Signature Programs: the Annual HCC Business Plan Competition, now in its 16th year; the Small Business Success Series by by HCC^©; and the HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling^©

Contact us at c4e@hccs.edu or 713-718-6650

Houston Community College Wins 2022 Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Award for Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education

 Houston-based academic group called out top universities and programs from around the world — including one in Houston and another in Texas — that are excelling in educating future entrepreneurs at the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Conference in October.

The GCEC is a consortium of more than 250 university entrepreneurship programs that is headquartered at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, which has been named a top entrepreneurship program itself time and time again. Houston Community College's Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives (led by Dr. Maya Durnovo) won in the Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education category. The office is known for signature programs like its annual business plan competition, which has been running since 2008. It is also home to the Minority Business Development Agency, created by a grant from the Department of Commerce in 2013, and the MBDA Pandemic Recovery Center. Additionally, the HCC Alief Hayes Campus is in partnership with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, providing 100 hours of instruction and advising and access to capital and an alumni network.

GCEC Award-Innovation Map Article

Houston Community College Wins 2022 Bellwether Award for Entrepreneurial Initiatives

Houston Community College has won the 2022 Bellwether Award for its outstanding and innovative workforce development program: HCC’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives. The Bellwether Awards are widely regarded as one of the nation’s most competitive and prestigious recognitions for community colleges. Dr. Maya Durnovo, HCC’s chief entrepreneurial initiatives officer leads HCC’s mission of helping entrepreneurs start and grow businesses to bolster the local economy, create jobs and build Houston’s ecosystem by starting and growing small businesses, including minority-, veteran- and women-owned businesses. Dr. Durnovo said. “I am so fortunate to have a highly motivated and passionate team that strives for excellence in everything they do.”

Houston Community College Receives 2021 Diversity In Business Award from the Houston Business Journal!

Congratulations to all students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs (aspiring & existing); and to all our community participants, supporters, volunteers, partners and sponsors who collaborate with us to make awards like this possible! Congratulations also to all of the other honorees and awardees! 

#WeAreHCC # HoustonStrong #HBJDiversity

Houston Community College 

2020 Entrepreneurial College of the Year

October. 6, 2020: The Houston Community College System was selected as the winner of the 2020 Entrepreneurial College of the Year award by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) at NACCE's annual conference, where entrepreneurial colleges from across the U.S. gather to share best practices. On behalf of all of our entrepreneurial programs and staff, we thank all of the entrepreneurs, partners, sponsors, volunteers, students, and HCC faculty and staff who have contributed to our efforts! Without your support and dedication to our programs, this wouldn't have been possible!