SPUR Bull Pen 2011

UPDATE:

Applications have now been received for the 2011 SPUR Bull Pen. Finalists for this year’s competition include:

· Glenbow Elementary School
Stream of Dreams – watershed education program and mural installation

· Enviros Base Camp
Replace and upgrade diesel generator to allow for capture of wasted heat

· Ranche Days Committee
Mobile Recycling Unit for Ranche Days festival, Farmers’ Market and outdoor events

· Thrive on Wellness – Commuter Challenge
Host a Commuter Challenge (June 2012)

· Cochrane & Area Events Society – Winterfest
Outdoor ice surface for Winterfest and as a public ice rink throughout winter

· Family & Community Support Services – Cochrane CookHouse Community Kitchen
Display freezer to support an Artisan Market at the Community Kitchen

 

Make plans to attend the Bull Pen Competition on Friday, October 14 starting at 7 p.m. at AC’s Restaurant and Lounge.  Winners will be determined by voting from both judges and the audience, so be sure to come out and vote for the projects you want to see funded!

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Have an idea for a sustainability-themed project that will benefit our community? For the second year, SPUR is hosting a Bull Pen designed to ensure important projects get the funding they need to succeed.

The concept is a simple one.  Local individuals, community groups and businesses pitch their ideas for sustainability projects in the Bull Pen, and a team of judges and audience members decides who gets what.

If you’ve seen CBC’s Dragons’ Den, you’ve got a pretty good idea of what the Bull Pen entails. Except for the fact that you won’t be on TV, nor will you be judged by some really rich business elites…maybe the only thing that the Bull Pen has in common with Dragons’ Den is that we’re giving out some cash to groups that do a good job of “pitching” their ideas.

Did we mention we’ve got $15,000 up for grabs?

The Bull Pen is open to all Cochrane and area residents, groups and businesses with a good, sustainable idea that will benefit our community.  The first step is submitting your application, which is due no later than Friday, October 7 at 5 p.m.

This year, we’re accepting applications in three categories:

  • Responsible Citizens of the Planet
  • Citizens Living Locally
  • Wild Card

All applications will be reviewed by SPUR, and 10 will be selected to make presentations. Then it’s time for The Pitch.

The Pitch takes place at the Bull Pen main event, Friday, October 14 starting at 7 p.m.   Pitches will be judged by a panel of experts and the audience on a variety of criteria, including how creative (think fun) and engaging (think more fun) the pitch is. Boring PowerPoint presentations will likely not score well, although we will have AV equipment available if required. Pitches are required to be five minutes or less.

Don’t be intimidated — the pitch is meant to be fun!

Looking for inspiration?  Last year’s winners included training programs for Sustainability Champions, a truck fuelled by waste vegetable oil and a documentary about wetlands restoration.

Here’s something to keep in mind.  The audience will be made up of the people you bring. Think about it…if the audience is helping to choose the winner, and you stack the audience full of family and friends… your odds for success are looking better and better!

The Judges: Are yet to be determined. We probably won’t tell you before the event, because you’ll likely try to bribe them. We know how this works.

Next steps:

  • Download and complete the SPUR Bull Pen Funding Application 2011.  You can also contact us if you have any questions.
  • Send the application back to SPUR no later than Friday, October 7 at 5 p.m.
  • Wait to hear about the status of your application. We recommend starting some work on your pitch now. SPUR will let you know by October 10th whether you’ll be pitching in the ‘Pen or not.

Good luck!