Innovators invited to apply for 2023 PA Wilds Big Idea Contest, chance to win $50,000
BIG IDEAS GROW IN WILD PLACES, AND YOU COULD WIN UP TO $50,000!
In partnership with the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Ben Franklin Technology Partners is looking for innovators with BIG IDEAS located in Cameron, Elk, Forest, McKean, or Warren County, PA.
We’re looking for entrepreneurs who are developing or crafting a product, process, or innovation related to the maker economy, outdoors and recreation, forest products, manufacturing, and technology. If this sounds like you, please apply!
Winning up to $50,000 will go a long way in helping you further develop your BIG IDEA and infuse your new startup with much-needed cash. In addition to the cash, the pitch experience you’ll gain, the business training offered, and the contacts you’ll make are just as valuable.
Apply by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
Winners of the 2022 PA Wilds Big Idea Contest Share Insights
The winner will receive:
- Up to $50,000 in cash
- A chance to win an additional $2,500 in the People’s Choice Award
- An opportunity to pitch the business concept for a $10,000 Seed Grant from Ben Franklin
- A guaranteed spot in a business accelerator program offered by either Ben Franklin or Penn State’s LaunchBox network
- Business mentoring and support by Ben Franklin’s Transformation Business Services Network
You qualify to apply if:
- Your business is located in Cameron, Elk, Forest, McKean, or Warren County, PA.
- You have not previously received Ben Franklin funding or a cash prize from either a BIG IDEA Contest or a TechCelerator program
- You plan to commercialize your innovation
- You do not have more than $1,000,000 in annual sales revenue (as an established business)
As part of a three-year initiative funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, this is the second of three annual BIG IDEA Contests in collaboration with PA Wilds, focusing on counties in the Allegheny National Forest & Surrounds landscape of the 13-county region (Cameron, Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren Counties). The 2024 contest will accept applications from counties in the Pine Creek Valley and Dark Skies landscapes of PA Wilds (Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Potter and Tioga Counties). The 2022 contest focused on the I-80 Frontier landscape of the PA Wilds (Centre, Clarion, Clearfield and Jefferson Counties).
About Ben Franklin
The largest early-stage investor in the region, Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP, (an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority) provides investment capital, operational assistance, BIG IDEA contests, and TechCelerator Startup Boot Camps to emerging tech-based companies and small, existing manufacturers to create and retain jobs in Pennsylvania. Visit Ben Franklin’s website at www.cnp.benfranklin.org or phone the Harrisburg office at 717-948-6339.
About PA Wilds Center
The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to integrate conservation and economic development in a way that inspires the communities of the Pennsylvania Wilds, a 13-county region that includes the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren, and northern Centre. The PA Wilds Center promotes the region as a premier outdoor recreation destination as a way to diversify local economies, inspire stewardship, attract investment and improve quality of life. The PA Wilds Center’s core programs seek to help businesses leverage the PA Wilds brand and connect with new market opportunities, including: the Wilds Cooperative of PA, a network of over 375 place-based businesses and organizations; the PA Wilds Conservation Shop, a retail outlet primarily featuring products sourced from the WCO; the PA Wilds Marketplace, an online maker marketplace featuring products proudly made in the PA Wilds; and brand licensing. For more information on the PA Wilds Center, visit www.PAWildsCenter.org. To learn more about the WCO, visit www.WildsCoPA.org. Explore the PA Wilds at www.PAWilds.com. Find PA Wilds made products at www.ShopThePAWilds.com.
RECENT WCO NETWORK NEWS + UPDATES
- Clinton County Economic Partnership: Four organizations under one roof
Clinton County offers an invitation to explore trails, parks, forests and scenic waterways as well as a vibrant community full of local businesses. Located in the I-80 Frontier Landscape of the PA Wilds region and at the heart of Clinton County is the Clinton County Economic Partnership (CCEP). The CCEP is continuously working to help facilitate opportunities for adventures and economic development while also serving as the focal point for state funding. - WCO Creative Maker applications and registration deadline for the 2025 Spring Jury Review is March 17, 2025
Do you make food, crafts or art by hand in the Pennsylvania Wilds and want to distribute them through PA Wilds Center platforms? Are you a graphic designer, website developer, or videographer based in the region who wants to be promoted to other businesses and nonprofits? If you answered yes to any of these questions, be sure to apply for the Wilds Cooperative of PA and register for the 2025 Spring Jury Review by March 17, 2025! - PA Firefly Festival’s Glowing Success
The 2024 PA Firefly Festival (PAFF) impact statement has been released. Since 2012, PAFF has hosted 4,931 festival patrons at the annual Forest County festival. Demand remains strong, this past year over 2500 lottery applications were submitted for the one hundred sixty event tickets.
