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Women-Owned Small Business Pitch Competition

The Beacon State Fund,* in partnership with the Governor's Commission for Women, is hosting a pitch competition and will select two awardees in 2023. The women-owned small business pitch competition is made possible by Sempra’s support of the Beacon State Fund.

Sempra is an energy infrastructure company focused on connecting millions through the power of people, ideas, and innovation. As owners of one of the largest energy networks in North America, more than 40 million consumers rely on Sempra for safe, reliable, and affordable energy.

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To qualify for the pitch competition you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  1. Your business is at least 51% owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women.
  2. Your business made $1,000,000 or less in revenue in 2022.
  3. Your business employed 15 or less in 2022.
  4. Your business must be registered in the State of Texas.
  5. Your business must have operated for more than 12 months.
     

Application Process

  1. Completed applications must be submitted via the online application form.
  2. Applicants will receive notification via email that the application was received. If you do not receive this notification, please contact us.
  3. Finalists will be selected and notified via email.
  4. Finalists will be invited to present a pitch to judges via video file.
  5. Finalists will be asked to attend a live in-person Governor’s Small Business event either on September 21, 2023 or December 7, 2023. The events are hosted by the Governor’s Commission for Women, Beacon State Fund, and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development & Tourism.
  6. Finalists must respond to the notification email in order to secure their place in the final pitch event.
  7. Finalists chosen for the final pitch event will receive further instructions for the day and time of the event.

Apply Here

Guidelines and Rules

  1. The application form must be submitted with all required fields completed to be considered for the live pitch event.
  2. In the event that a finalist cannot be present at the live pitch event, an alternate may be selected. The Beacon State Fund and the Commission for Women reserve the right to adjust the number of finalists at any time.
  3. The live pitch event will be recorded and available for replay on the Commission for Women’s website and/or social media platforms.
  4. The winner of the live pitch will be announced upon completion of the three finalists’ pitches and judging.
  5. The winner must be present to accept the award.
     

Award:

The chosen winners will receive a $10,000 award from the Beacon State Fund.