Could your Sacramento startup use a $100,000 leg up? Entrepreneur contest set to open

The Downtown Sacramento Foundation said it will begin accepting applications for its sixth annual Calling All Dreamers business competition on April 24 .

Started in 2013, the competition provides a substantial boost for the winner, chosen among eligible Sacramento-area entrepreneurs. This year’s winner will receive a prize package valued at more than $100,000, including the foundation’s help in opening their enterprise in Sacramento.

Submissions can be made online at www.callingalldreamers.org through 5 p.m. on May 31.

New this year, organizers said business concepts can be submitted through “an optimized digital platform that will make the application process easier than ever.”

The competition is open to new startup businesses and existing businesses hoping to expand or open a new concept in downtown Sacramento.

The "Shark Tank"-style competition includes a business development program, planning sessions, market research and proof of financial sustainability. Finalists are provided with tools and resources to refine their business plans.

Semifinalists will be announced June 11; finalist notifications are set for July 16, commencing a public voting process. The winner will be announced in September.

The foundation said the competition has helped 18 businesses open, creating more than 25 full-time jobs and nearly 70 part-time positions.

Last year’s winner, Milk House Shakes , is scheduled to open in Old Sacramento later this spring. That business offers milkshakes with themes matching up with U.S. presidents.

This story was originally published April 2, 2018 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Could your Sacramento startup use a $100,000 leg up? Entrepreneur contest set to open."