AMES, Iowa–Twenty-six out of 30 semi-finalists selected in the 2009 John Pappajohn Iowa Business Plan Competition received assistance from Iowa’s Small Business Development Centers, many in cooperation with the five John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers. The semi-finalists were chosen out of 65 competition entries from many different types of businesses, including manufacturing, bioscience, data management, bioenergy, and more. Semifinalists represent 17 different communities in Iowa.

 

“The Iowa Small Business Development Centers are proud to have so many of our clients chosen as semi-finalists for the Pappajohn Business Plan Competition,” says State Director Jim Heckmann. “Their selection is yet another example of the high level of services provided by our organization.”

 

Seven to ten finalists will be selected out of this group and will present to judges at the Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneurs Conference on October 6th. Three businesses will be awarded cash prizes totaling $50,000 at the conference. Additional smaller cash prizes will also be awarded.

 

The Iowa Small Business Development Center program is an outreach unit of Iowa State University’s College of Business. Partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the organization has 15 regional business assistance centers located strategically across the state. Since program inception in 1981, the organization has provided expert, confidential business counseling and affordable, practical training workshops to hundreds of thousands of Iowa businesses and entrepreneurs.

 

For more information on Iowa Small Business Development Center programs or services, call (515) 294-2030 or visit www.iowasbdc.org. For more information on the competition, visit www.iowabusinessplancompetition.com.