The Virginia FAIRS Agricultural and Forestry Innovation Challenge “Bull Pen” is an entrepreneurial and innovation competition for eligible businesses across the Commonwealth.
This is the Third Annual Bull Pen contest. Congratulations to our previous Bull Pen Winner and Finalists! Learn more about them here.
The competition’s purpose is to encourage and facilitate agricultural and forestry entrepreneurship for the benefit of industry and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The competition provides a platform to help contestants develop and promote their enterprise proposals, expose their proposals to professional review and critique and compete for cash prizes intended to help fund proposal implementation. The contest not only provides contestants exposure to potential investors and customers, but it also allows contestants to practice promoting their business venture before critical audiences.
Bull Pen contestants will compete for up to $30,000 in cash prizes which can be used to advance their business ideas and enterprises. Five finalists will compete in two live in-person judging rounds December 2 – 3, 2024, at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA. The final in-person round will occur before a live audience. Winners will be announced afterwards on December 3 during the Virginia Farm Bureau® Federation’s Annual Convention. Public voting for the People’s Choice Award will occur October 16, 2024, through 10:00 a.m. ET December 3, 2024, on this website; details will follow.
Prize Level Cash Prize Amount
Bull Pen Finalists $ 2,500 each
Bull Pen People’s Choice Winner $ 2,500
Bull Pen Runner-up $ 5,000
Bull Pen Winner $ 10,000
The Bull Pen application deadline is 11:59 p.m. EDT, September 16, 2024. All applications and required supporting documentation must be submitted as prescribed below. Complete details are available below. Please contact us with any contest questions at BULLPEN@VAFAIRS.COM.
How To Enter
To enter applicants must register for a free Jotform.com account and complete and submit the 2024 Bull Pen Application here by the application deadline, September 16, 2024 at 11:59p.m. EDT. A complete application package must contain a completed application form, including the video-pitch information, along with at least one digital photo depicting the business, and the applicant’s completed IRS Form W-9. Bull Pen applicants must complete all required questions with red highlighted response fields in the 2024 Bull Pen Application form. An incomplete application package or incomplete application form will not be accepted as an entry. Applicants will be notified of their application’s acceptance as being eligible by email within two business days of receipt of the applicant’s complete application package.
CONTEST MATERIALS
2024 Bull Pen Contest Rules Applicants are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the rules which list eligibility and applicant requirements and contest procedures: LINK TO 2024 CONTEST RULES PDF
2024 Bull Pen Rubric and Score Sheet Contestant applications will be judged and scored according to the rubric: LINK TO 2024 CONTEST RUBRIC PDF
2024 Bull Pen Application Applicants may register for their free Jotform.com account and complete and submit the 2024 Bull Pen Application here: LINK TO 2024 BULL PEN APPLICATION
