"Concept to Company" Competition Searching for Utah Innovations

(Utah Pulse)--If you’ve got a great idea for an outdoor recreation product, you’re in luck. Grow Utah Ventures is sponsoring a contest that will help fund the development of innovations in the outdoor recreation industry. The “Concept to Company” is offering cash and consulting services for the winning inventors or small companies to help bring their idea to market.

The contest is open to any Utah-based inventor or small business with an idea or product that applies to outdoor recreation. The winning entry receives $20,000, while two runners up will each get cash and services up to $10,000.

T. Craig Bott, President and CEO of Grow Utah Ventures, says “We want to help innovators develop a marketing plan, or do some marketing research. We want to help people move their product or idea into the marketplace, that’s what this contest is all about.”

The winners will be announced on September 27th as part of the City of Ogden’s “Mountain to Metro”festival.

With the support of primary sponsors Zions Bank, Grow Utah Ventures and USTAR, Concept to Company may be the first competition in the nation to focus on spurring innovation in the outdoor recreation products industry.
Industry sponsors of the contest include Amer Sports Winter & Outdoor, Backcountry.com, Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd., Deer Valley® Resort, Descente North America, GOODE, Mountain to Metro, Ogden City, Outdoor Industry Association, Ogden Climbing Park, Petzl America, Rossignol Group North America, Seed Weber Davis Morgan

Contest rules and an application form are available at www.launchutah.com/concepttocompany.php

Applications may be submitted now through the submission deadline of August 30, 2008.

T. Craig Bott of Grow Utah Ventures speaks to Utah Pulse's Bryan Schott about the "Concept to Company" Contest.