SHIPPENSBURG, Tuesday, Jan. 10 — Shippensburg University’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Center is seeking proposals from high school or college teams for its Entrepreneurial Leadership Center Pitch Tournament.

The contest is open to all interested teams at the high school or college level and involves each team preparing a one-page proposal for a new, viable business venture. Deadline to submit the proposal to elc@ship.edu is Jan. 13. The program is supported by F&M Trust.

Minimum requirements for the proposal include a description of the product or service, a monetization and sustainability plan, and biographies of team members.

Eight entries will be chosen for round one that occurs Feb. 2 and four teams will move on to the finals on Feb. 9. Both rounds will be webcast. Teams moving past the preliminary selection and into round one and the finals will be asked for more detailed proposals.

The first place team will receive $500, the second place team will receive $350, and the third and fourth place teams will each receive $200. In addition, the top eight teams will receive free support from the center to develop a comprehensive business plan.

In the rounds, it is expected that each team will have an engaging and interesting presentation  that provides clear proposed next steps in their proposal.

The center’s philosophy includes the belief that entrepreneurial endeavors and leadership development  serve as fertile ground for innovation and drives individual growth and personal fulfillment. It is dedicated to providing students, faculty, staff, and community members with a program that focuses on a critical skill of the 21st century entrepreneurial thinking.

More information is available by sending an e-mail to the above address, by calling the center at 477-1935 or by going to http://www.ship.edu/elc.