Piedmont Pitch Application

Piedmont Pitch Application

POSITION - PRACTICE - PROFIT
The City of Charlottesville Office of Economic Development and Albemarle County Economic Development have joined forces to offer educational programming and a pitch competition for local small businesses.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners in Charlottesville and Albemarle have the opportunity to express their interest in Piedmont Pitch by submitting a draft business plan with this application and meeting with a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) advisor. While all participants are strongly encouraged to complete the full series of on-demand Business Esstentials Training (BET) coursework through SBDC and receive a BET certificate, participants will be required to complete any of the individual BET course recommended by their advisor, in order to move forward in the competition.

Advisors will work with participants to prepare a final version of their business plan, which will be used to determine the Piedmont Pitch Finalists, who will pitch their ideas live, before a panel of local experts. Finalists will be required to attend a Pitch Prep Class to refine their pitch presentation before the Piedmont Pitch event takes place.

Other requirements and restrictions may apply. Please contact Central Virginia SBDC at contact@cvsbdc.org or (434) 295-8198 with additional questions.
Is your business new or existing?*

NewExisting
Where is your business currently located?*

Albemarle CountyCity of CharlottesvilleOther
Contact Information
Name*

First NameLast Name
Email*
Phone Number*
Home Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip Code
Business Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip Code
Business Information
Business or Project Name*
What business category best fits your business or project?*

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and HuntingMining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas ExtractionUtilitiesConstructionManufacturingWholesale TradeRetail TradeTransportation and WarehousingInformationFinance and InsuranceReal Estate and Rental and LeasingProfessional, Scientific, and Technical ServicesManagement of Companies and EnterprisesAdministrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation ServicesEducational ServicesHealth Care and Social AssistanceArts, Entertainment, and RecreationAccommodation and Food ServicesOther Services (except Public Administration)Public Administration
Please write a short description of your business idea:*

0/200
Are you a Community Investment Collaborative (CIC) Workshop Graduate?*

YesNoCurrently Enrolled
Are you a GO Start Up Program Graduate?*

YesNoCurrently Enrolled
How did you learn about this program?*

Press ReleaseNBC29CBS19City of Charlottesville NewsletterWord of MouthSocial MediaSBDCCICCBICCharlottesville Regional Chamber of CommerceOnline SearchOther
Demographic Information
How would you describe your gender? (Check one)*

MaleFemaleNon-BinaryI self-describe as another optionPrefer not to answer
How would you describe your race? (Check all that apply)*

American Indian or Alaska NativeAsianBlack or African AmericanNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific IslanderWhiteMulti-RacialPrefer not to answer
Do you identify as having Hispanic or Latino ethnicity? (Check one)*

Hispanic or LatinoNot Hispanic or LatinoPrefer not to answer
Program Requirements

Please check that you have read & understood.
Applicant must be 18 years of age or older.*

Yes
To be eligible to receive prize money, participants must have an active business license in Albemarle County or the City of Charlottesville by July 1, 2026.*

Yes
Award recipients agree to complete bi-annual updates for a period of two years.*

Yes
Confidentiality Waiver
While the competition organizers and judges are bound by ethical considerations to keep information confidential, neither the organizers nor the judges will sign non-disclosure agreements with any of the participants as part of the competition process.

The organizers reserve the right to use the following information about each business concept to publicize the competition:
- The name and location of the business
- A brief description of the company provided as part of the registration form
- The names of all applicants mentioned explicitly in the business plan
- Any photographs taken during the program and competition
I have read the confidentiality waiver and agree to the terms therein.*

Yes
Disclaimer
Participation in this competition gives entrants no guarantees, expressed or implied, to any grants or to any potential of future funding. Participants agree that Central Virginia Small Business Development Center, City of Charlottesville, and Albemarle County are not liable for any direct or indirect damages, including any loss of revenue that may or may not be related to business advice received in conjunction with the program and competition.

The Central Virginia Small Business Development Center, City of Charlottesville, and Albemarle County reserve the right to disqualify, in their sole and absolute discretion, any participant from the competition at any time (before or after a judging round or the award of any grant) for any reason. Reasons for disqualification may include, but are not limited to, plagiarism and any other form of dishonesty, misappropriation or infringement of the intellectual property of others, and any failure to comply with these rules and regulations. Disqualified participants shall forfeit all grants awarded to them. All decisions of the judges and committee are final.

Grant recipients must have a registered business license in Charlottesville or Albemarle in order to receive funds, and must use funds for services for business development within one year of award, unless an alternate timeline for utilization of funding was proposed as part of their initial proposal and approved in advance by Central Virginia Small Business Development Center, City of Charlottesville, and Albemarle County. Additionally, should award recipients not fulfill agreed upon goals, they may be required to repay grant funds pursuant to individual award agreements.
I have read the disclaimer and agree to the terms therein.*

Yes
Are you currently a registered client with SBDC?*

YesNoUnsure
If you checked "No" or "Unsure" in the previous question, please visit the SBDC website and register as a client. Please write "Piedmont Pitch" in the Specific Assistance field when registering. Registration as an SBDC client is free.

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Upload Your Draft Business Plan*

10 MB Maximum File Size; Acceptable Formats are PDF, Word, or Generic Text
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Piedmont Pitch Application

Contact Information

Business Information

Demographic Information

Program Requirements

Confidentiality Waiver

Disclaimer