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Just as the buds are starting to blossom, Seed Your Startup is helping students’ businesses sprout up all over London.

Spring is nearly here (we hope), and flowers aren't the only things starting to sprout up.

BizInc's third annual Seed Your Startup business pitch event is breathing life into local post-secondary students' business ideas, and they want you to apply by March 14. The top ideas will be pitched to local investors, Dragon's Den style, on April 9, and the winners will walk away with thousands of dollars in cash and services to kick-start their business idea.

“It gives students the opportunity, if they're in the idea stage, to practice their pitch and make it a reality,” said Brittany Medeiros, marketing, communications and event co-ordinator for BizInc, a local business incubator. “If they're in the business development stage, it gives them the opportunity to actually get money towards their business, to maybe spend it on services or hiring an extra person or anything that can help them boost their business.”

After the top business submissions are chosen in mid-March, representatives from BizInc will mentor the students. “We're going to prep you for [pitch day on April 9] so that you look like a professional when you get out there and you're confident about your idea,” Medeiros said.

The student or group that takes home top honours will be given $7,000 worth of cash and services, and second-place will receive $3,000 of cash and services. The group with the best pitch for a fun or good idea (but not necessarily a sustainable idea) will take home a $500 prize.

“Seven thousand dollars for a new startup company is kind of amazing,” Medeiros said. “It can actually take it from zero revenue to actually making money.”

Last year, more than 50 business plans were submitted to Seed Your Startup. The winner, GamePress, was a collaboration between students from Fanshawe College and Western University. It has gone on to find national success, winning a massive grant after snagging last year's $5,000 top prize at Seed Your Startup.

“They practiced their pitch here, moved on to another organization and did their pitch again and ended up winning $25,000,” Medeiros said. “We help mentor so that the [entrepreneurs] can practice pitching in front of [investors] so that they can go on to really push their business in the right direction.”

Seed Your Startup is open to pitches for virtually any business idea, even non-profits; the only requirement is that it is a sustainable business run by a current Fanshawe or Western student.

“That's the fun part about it — we're not looking for any idea specifically. It's anything that's creative that we think can be turned into a business. It can be absolutely anything — it can be fun and quirky, it can be something serious that can be turned into a business.”

Business plans are due on March 14 at 5 p.m. — fill out an application form at bizinc.ca/events/seed-your-startup and hand three copies of the form in to the BizInc office on campus in SUB. BizInc advisors are available to assist with Seed Your Startup applications — contact Medeiros at brittany@bizinc.ca for help.

The pitch event takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. on April 9 at the Mustang Lounge in the Western University Community Centre, and everyone is welcome to attend. For more information on the event, go to bizinc.ca/events/seed-your-startup.

Seed Your Startup is sponsored by BizInc, London Economic Development Council, TechAlliance, Big Viking Games, USC Western, Fanshawe College, RBC and Brescia College.