The Small Print

By registering as an applicant for the competition or as spectator general admission attendee, you agree to all the terms and conditions.

Pismo Ventures National Venture Plan Competition

Terms and Conditions

Pismo Ventures, LLC

National Venture Plan Competition

Legal, Rules, Terms, and Conditions 

  1. Eligibility: This competition (the “Competition”) is open only to those who sign up at the Competition page located at https://VenturePlanCompetition.com (the “Competition Website”) and who are at least 18 years of age as of the date of entry. Principals and employees of Pismo Ventures, LLC (the “Sponsor”), event sponsors, and organization participating in the Competition, collectively (the “Sponsors”) their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, suppliers, contractors, and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate in the Competition. The Competition is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.
  2. Agreement to Rules: By participating in the Competition as an applicant or spectator, you agree to be fully, unconditionally bound by these Rules, and you represent and warrant that you meet the eligibility requirements set forth herein. In addition, you agree to accept the Sponsor’s decisions as final and binding. All sales are final without exception.
  3. Competition Entry Period: Entries will be accepted online starting on or about July 22, 2020 and ending September 6, 2020 at 11:59 PM PST. All online entries must be received during that period.
  4. How to Enter: The Competition must be entered by submitting an entry using the online form provided on this Competition Website. The entry must provide all information requested and must fulfill all Contest requirements. Entries that are not complete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. You may enter a company only once; you may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices. If you use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. You agree that the Sponsor is not responsible for any technical issues that may negatively impact your timely entry submission. Once submitted, entries will be judged within their respective categories. A winner will be designated for each category and an overall winner will be designated from the category winners.
  5. Prizes: The winner of each category and the top overall winner will receive prizes, with the specifics of each prize to be solely determined by the Sponsor. No cash or other prize substitution is permitted. All prizes are nontransferable. Any and all prize-related expenses, including without limitation any and all federal, state, and/or local taxes, shall be the sole responsibility of the winner.At present, the prizes are anticipated to be as specified on the Competition Website.
  6. Winner selection and notification: The winners of each category and the overall winner shall be selected by judges chosen by the Sponsor in its sole discretion and shall be determined by such judges within their sole discretion. All processes, procedures, standards, and methods applied to contestants or used by judges to identify winners shall be determined by the Sponsor and judges within each of their sole discretion. Winners will be notified via email to the email address they submitted with their entry within five (5) days following the winner selection. Sponsor shall have no liability for a winner’s failure to receive notices due to winners’ spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for winners’ provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within 72 hours from the time award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and releases as required, prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner selected. The receipt of any prize is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal and state laws and regulations and these rules. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE RULES WILL CAUSE THE VIOLATOR TO BE DISQUALIFIED FROM ANY FURTHER PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION, INCLUDING THE AWARD OR RECEIPT OF ANY PRIZE.
  7. Rights Granted by you: By entering this contest you agree the Sponsor, any angel or other investor group or other party that provides a prize, anyone acting on behalf of any of them, or their respective licensees, successors and assigns can, and you grant to each such party the right to, where permitted by law, without any further notice, print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use, worldwide in any media now known or hereafter in perpetuity and throughout the World, your entry, including, without limitation, the entry and winner’s name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image or statements about the Competition, and biographical information as news, publicity or information and for trade, advertising, public relations and promotional purposes without any further compensation.
  8. Terms: The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, for any reason whatever or for no reason, to (i) cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Competition, (ii) shorten or restructure the Competition, (iii) award prizes on any basis whatever or fail to award prizes, or (iv) disqualify from the Competition any Entrant.By entering the Competition you agree to receive email newsletters periodically from the Sponsor.  You can opt-out of receiving this communication at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the newsletter.
  9. Limitation of Liability: By entering this Competition you hereby release, waive, discharge, and hold harmless the Sponsor, the judges, and anyone who acts in any role, advises, assists, or otherwise performs any act in connection with this Competition, and each of their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers, directors, and other representatives from any liability, injury, or damage whatever, whether direct or indirect and whether negligent or intentional, that relates in any way to (i) the Competition, (ii) any act or omission by anyone in connection with the Competition.
  10. Disputes: THIS COMPETITION IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WITHOUT RESPECT TO CONFLICT OF LAW DOCTRINES. As a condition of participating in this Competition, participant agrees that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties and all claims or causes of action arising out of or connected with this Competition shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in Orange County, California. Further, participant hereby waives any and all right to seek, claim, or receive punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred in entering and participating in this Contest), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

Rules and Requirements

  • Applicant must be 18+ years of age
  • Business must have at least one full time founder
  • Business must have a legal US-Based privately held entity/corporation
  • Business must be active and may be either pre or post revenue but may not be just an idea that has not been launched
  • Applicant must select only one category per business application
  • Applicant are allowed only one submission per business
  • Applicant must have access to internet connection and device to connect online
  • Applicant must fill out registration, application, questionnaire, and any other required document as requested from time to time without prior notification
  • Applicant is responsible for all taxes on winnings and prizes
  • Each applicant and business (each application) must accept and abide by all the rules, requirements, terms and conditions for the competition as such terms may change from time to time without prior notification, otherwise they can be disqualified
  • Applicants who emerge past round 1 must participate in all live judging meetings
  • Applicant may update submission materials as specified in the timeline after the completion of rounds 1 and 2
  • All participants release the rights to use any audio, video, or media for training and promotional purposes
  • No Refunds – All Transactions Are Final
Pismo Ventures National Venture Plan Competition