Calls The Effort Its 'Richest And Most Exciting'

With $135,000 in prizes, more industry support than ever before, and a new location and date, the Space Frontier Foundation has announced the details of the largest, richest and most exciting NewSpace Business Plan Competition to date.

In years past, this competition has been a part of the Space Frontier Foundation's NewSpace Conference, however, this year the competition will be a stand-alone event to be held in the Fall, allowing the Foundation to give the program its own spotlight. The NewSpace 2013 Conference will be held July 25-27. Both events will be in California's Silicon Valley.

"The competition aims to assist and showcase new startups and expanding firms who can demonstrate both the ability to provide a return on investment and the capacity to contribute to opening the space frontier," said Foundation Director, Thomas A. Olson.

In conjunction with the NASA Ames Research Center, ATK and the Heinlein Prize Trust, the Space Frontier Foundation is proud to announce this year's awards:

• $100,000 Grand prize sponsored by NASA
• $25,000 2nd prize sponsored by ATK
• $5,000 3rd prize sponsored by NASA
• $5,000 Market Sector prize sponsored by ATK

NASA provides support to the NewSpace Business Plan Competition as part of an effort to foster commercial use of space and expand entrepreneurship in the space economy. ATK Aerospace Group is the prime contractor and Joint Venture partner in the innovative ViviSat On-orbit Servicing Company. ATK has extensive experience supporting human and space payload missions and specializes in small and micro-satellites, satellite components and subsystems, lightweight space deployables and solar arrays. ATK Aerospace Group is the world's top producer of solid rocket propulsion systems.

"Finalists invited to present at the competition will also attend a NewSpace Boot Camp for the two days prior to the event," said Boot Camp Manager Jeff Krukin. "They will refine their business plans and presentations, receive advice and strategic leadership from industry veterans and participate in valuable networking opportunities."

The competition is seeking entries from seed, startup, or early-growth firms from a number of fields. Irrespective of niche, applicants must be able to explain why their product or service helps with the economic development of space. There is a $50 application fee for each team, due at the time of submission. Applications will be accepted through August 22nd, 2013.

FMI: http://newspacebpc.com, www.spacefrontier.org