Competition Details

Rules and Format for Bulldog B.I.T.E.

The Bulldog B.I.T.E. Competition consists of two rounds.

Round 1 (Qualifying Round):
Electronic submission of the pitch

Video pitch (maximum of two (2) minutes) must be published to YouTube and the link submitted via the Bulldog B.I.T.E Submission Form by 10 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2024.

• A product prototype, mock-up, or an illustration of the pitch concept is permitted. No presentation software may be used.

• The pitch should be one continuous shot; no cuts or editing.

• We recommend that the video be posted as unlisted.

• Judges will select six finalists from the Qualifying Round submissions. Judges may include faculty, alumni, and entrepreneurs.

Round 2:
Six finalists advance to final pitch competition

The final pitch competition will be held at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, November 14, 2024, in the Activities Room of the Student Union Building.

• Finalists will present their pitches to a panel of judges. The pitch cannot exceed two (2) minutes and will be cut off at the two-minute mark.

• A product prototype, mock-up, or an illustration of the pitch concept is permitted. No presentation software may be used.

• Finalists may view other finalists’ pitches only after they have presented their pitch.

• After the presentation, finalists will answer questions from the judges. The Q & A will be limited to four (4) minutes.

• The judges will score pitches so the top three pitches can be identified.

Pitch Judging Criteria

Judges will score the pitch presentation on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = poor; 5 = outstanding) on the following elements listed below. The best score possible will be 40.

  1. Problem:  Significance of problem/issue being addressed? 1-5
  2. Product/service solution adequately addresses the problem?  1-5
  3. Market:  Target market is significant and well defined?  1-5
  4. Competition:  Concept proven to be better than current competition?  1-5
  5. Value Creation/Economic Sustainability:  Clearly articulated how the concept will make money (or cover expenses if non-profit)?  1-5
  6. Seed Money:  How prize money would be used to further development of the concept?  1-5
  7. Q&A:  Effectiveness of Q&A session answers?  1-5
  8. Presentation: Overall verbal pitch presentation and organization?  1-5

Preparing and Developing the Pitch (pitch elements, rehearsals, and feedback)

  • Developing a Pitch: If you have any questions about your pitch or would like assistance in fleshing out ideas/topics, please contact Anastasia Tiedemann,  Executive Director, Kirksville Regional Economic Development Inc. (KREDI) and Missouri Rural Enterprise & Innovation Center (MREIC) at atiedemann@kirksvillecity.com or Bryce Cardwell, Business Counselor at the Kirksville Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at bcardwell@kirksvillecity.com.
  • Recording a Pitch: To record and produce a high-quality, professional video seek the assistance of individuals in the Pickler Memorial Library Multimedia Lab (PML 204). These individuals can provide you with best practices and tips for video recording and production.
  • Pitch Rehearsal: Pitch Rehearsal for the six finalists with local faculty, staff and local entrepreneurs will take place on Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 4 -5:30 p.m. in the Doug and Diane Villhard Innovation Lab in Pickler Memorial Library. The six finalists will participate in a live two-minute pitch rehearsal followed by a four-minute question-and-answer session.
  • An excellent pitch will require practice, practice, practice!

Confidentiality and Intellectual Property

Truman State University does not guarantee confidentiality of the pitch concept. Judges, Truman staff and audience members are professional and routinely respect the property of others. However, judges, staff, and audience members will not sign nondisclosure agreements.

If the presenters desire to keep elements of their concept confidential, the presenters should not include this information in their presentation or responses to judges’ questions.

Truman’s Intellectual Property Policy >

Questions may be directed to:

Bulldog B.I.T.E. Homepage