December 5, 2022

Entrepreneurs showcase local business and compete for top prizes

iAccelerate rise program aims to create jobs in Snowy-Monaro and Queanbeyan-Palerang regions

A seven-week journey of discovery for 12 Snowy Monaro and Queanbeyan-Palerang entrepreneurs culminates this week (Thursday 8 December to Friday 9 December) in two public pitches for the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) iAccelerate RISE program.

The Snowy Monaro and Queanbeyan-Palerang Entrepreneur Pitch Events, which are online and run from 12pm to 2.30pm, are open to the community and will showcase ideas from local entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas. 

Local entrepreneurs will compete for a top prize with a three-minute business pitch.

The Pitch Finals come after a seven-week program in which each entrepreneur developed and fine-tuned their business idea with the result of creating a value proposition for future success and finding customers. Each pitch is unique and will enthuse and delight the audience with the scale and ingenuity of their business proposition.

A panel of industry experts will award a Judges’ Choice Award and everyone who attends the virtual Pitch event has the opportunity of voting for a People’s Choice Award. 

The Judges’ Choice Pitch winner will gain travel and accommodation to the Regional Innovation Summit for Entrepreneurs, to be held in Bega in March 2023.

Registrations are now open to attend the Snowy Monaro Entrepreneur Pitch Event on Thursday 8 December (12pm to 2.30pm) and the Queanbeyan-Palerang Pitch Event on Friday 9 December (12pm to 2.30pm) through iaccelerate.com.au/rise. 

Chris Petersilge, Business Development and Initiatives Manager at iAccelerate, said the event is an important end to the seven-week program and beginning of growth and development of their business and contribution to the economic success of the region.

“We are delighted with the calibre of the businesses who participated in this unique business acceleration program in Snowy Monaro and Queanbeyan-Palerang regions,” Mr Petersilge said.

“We had people with a business idea to develop; business owners who worked on a new product or a new direction for their business and community organisations developing new and valuable community projects.”

Mr Petersilge said RISE was not a typical business program and the aim was to vitalise and realise the idea, business potential or project. 

“This will certainly shine through at the Pitch Event. We invite everyone who is interested to join us at the Snowy Monaro and/or Queanbeyan-Palerang Entrepreneur Pitch Events and we thank our partners with Snowy Monaro Regional Council, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council, and the Country University Centre Snowy Monaro in the promotion and delivery of the iAccelerate RISE program in the greater region. 

“We also acknowledge the funding bodies who have made this program possible to deliver in Snowy Monaro and Queanbeyan-Palerang through the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery program funded by the Federal and NSW Governments.”

iAccelerate RISE is one of 195 local community projects supporting economic or social recovery, strengthening resilience and delivering ongoing community benefit to bushfire-affected communities in NSW to receive Stage 2 Bushfire Local Economic Recovery funding.

The program was developed in consultation with Snowy Monaro Regional Council, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council and in speaking to the local community.

For more information go to www.iaccelerate.com.au/rise.