A CURRENT PAID MEMBERSHIP AT THE GOLD OR PLATINUM LEVEL IS REQUIRED TO ENTER. The Competition is judged on skill against a published rubric. Membership determines which prize ladder an entrant competes on; it does not influence how any entry is scored.
The Big Move Fund quarterly competition (the "Competition") is administered by [legal entity name and state of incorporation, to be confirmed], [registered mailing address, to be confirmed] (the "Sponsor").
Entry to the Competition requires a current paid membership at the Gold or Platinum level, held at the time the entry is submitted and still current on the pitch date. Bronze and Silver memberships do not include Competition entry.
The membership level determines which prize ladder the entrant competes on. Gold competes for $50,000 / $25,000 / $10,000. Platinum competes for $100,000 / $50,000 / $25,000.
Membership does not affect how an entry is scored. Every entrant is scored on the same published rubric by the same judges, and no judge is told which level an entrant holds.
Open to individuals aged 18 or over who operate, or intend to operate, a business in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex, and who meet at least one of the following:
Start-ups and existing businesses are both eligible. The Competition is open to all regardless of race, gender or creed.
In addition, an entrant must hold a current Gold or Platinum membership as set out in section 2.
Directors, officers, employees and judges of the Sponsor, and their immediate families and households, are not eligible.
Entries are ineligible if the business is engaged in: adult entertainment; gambling or gaming; real estate investment or housing projects; passive rental activity; any activity not legal under federal law; multi-level marketing; or nonprofit activities.
Complete the application at the application form during an open entry period. One entry per business per quarter. Entries must be complete, accurate and submitted by the deadline. Incomplete, illegible, automated or duplicate entries are void.
Free alternative method of entry. If you cannot or prefer not to use the online form, mail a written entry containing the same information to the Sponsor's address above, postmarked within the entry period. Mailed entries are screened and scored identically. You do not need to buy anything to obtain the form; request one at contact@sowhatmovement.com and we will send it at no cost.
Each quarter's entry period, and the number of cohort places available, are published on this website before entries open. Cohort places are filled in the order eligible applications arrive. The Sponsor will not announce a pitch date for a quarter until that quarter's award pool is fully funded and held.
The Sponsor assigns each eligible entry to a division based on the revenue and employee information given in the application. Entrants do not choose.
| Division | Who | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | Pre-revenue up to $250,000 annual revenue | $50,000 | $25,000 | $10,000 |
| Scale | Above $250,000 revenue, or three or more employees | $100,000 | $50,000 | $25,000 |
Entries are screened for eligibility, then scored out of 100 by three independent judges against this rubric, which is published before entries open and does not change during a quarter:
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Business viability | 25 |
| Use of funds | 25 |
| Community impact | 20 |
| Founder capacity | 15 |
| Pitch delivery | 15 |
Scores are averaged across judges. Semifinalists present at a live pitch day and are scored in the room on the same rubric.
Ties are broken on the community impact score, then on the use-of-funds score. Ties are never broken by chance, drawing or lot. The Competition is a contest of skill, decided on merit against published criteria. Every entrant receives their scores, whether or not they advance.
Judges are named on this website before each quarter's entry period opens. Sponsors holding a judge seat score against the same rubric as every other judge and receive no additional weight. A judge with a conflict of interest in an entry is recused from scoring it.
Awards are restricted charitable grants, not unrestricted cash prizes. A grant is applied to the winner's business across five areas: marketing, hiring and people, legal and compliance, finance and capital, and technology and systems, in the allocation the winner proposes and the Sponsor approves.
Funds are released in three payments:
| Payment | Share | Released |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40% | On execution of the Grant Agreement, against the approved allocation |
| 2 | 35% | At 90 days, on an accepted report showing payment 1 was applied as approved |
| 3 | 25% | At 180 days, against the milestones set in the Grant Agreement |
The Sponsor may pay an approved vendor directly, or reimburse the winner on receipts. Winners select their own vendors.
Before any funds move, a winner must: verify eligibility, provide a completed Form W-9, and sign the Grant Agreement. A winner who cannot be reached within 10 business days of first notification, who declines, or who fails to meet these conditions, forfeits the award, and the Sponsor may select the next highest scoring eligible entrant.
An award is taxable income to the recipient, and restricting how it is spent does not change that. The Sponsor will issue an information return (Form 1099) as required. Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state and local taxes arising from an award and should consult their own tax adviser. The Sponsor does not give tax advice.
Except where prohibited by law, accepting an award constitutes permission for the Sponsor to use the winner's name, business name, city, likeness and a description of the funded project for program reporting and publicity, without further compensation. A winner who does not wish to be photographed or filmed may say so and still receive the award; the Sponsor will still name the business in the reporting it owes its funders.
The Sponsor may modify, suspend or cancel a quarter's Competition if it cannot be run as planned, including if the award pool is not funded, or in the event of fraud, technical failure or any other cause beyond reasonable control. If a quarter is cancelled before awards are made, entries are carried into the next quarter unless the entrant asks to withdraw. No entry fee is ever taken, so there is nothing to refund.
The Sponsor may disqualify any entrant who provides materially false information, tampers with the entry process, or acts in a way that damages the program or other entrants.
By entering, you release the Sponsor, its officers, directors, employees, judges and funders from liability for any claim arising out of participation in the Competition or the acceptance or use of an award, except where such a release is not permitted by law.
These Rules are governed by the laws of the State of Texas without regard to conflict of law rules. Any dispute is to be resolved individually, in the state or federal courts sitting in [county, to be confirmed] County, Texas.
Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
Information submitted with an entry is handled under the Privacy Policy, which describes what judges and sponsors see.
Each quarter's winners are published on this website within 30 days of the pitch day. You may also request the list in writing at [registered mailing address, to be confirmed].