Resources
Concept Division
The Concept Division of the I3 Competition is centered around a "concept pitch". After completing the registration, teams will get started on creating a prototype of a product that is in-line with a topic of focus. If a prototype cannot be created for the concept your team is pitching, pitching a "concept" is encouraged with the aid of something the judges can use to visualize this product. Teams will be given roughly two months to develop their prototype.
Teams should be creating a prototype of a solution to a problem that small business owners are facing. In order to brainstorm these problems, we encourage middle school teams to interview local small business owners, contact Mr. Swaminathan for help, or check out the IFEL website!
Ideas we have seen in the past include a small business digital toolbox, similar to Bloomberg. This presentation was given by 2021 Team 2M (Robert Vine, Zerach Zou, and Benjamin Webster). To see a video of their pitch, click here.
Unlike the practical division, you will NOT be paired with a real small business to create a real product.
The Concept Division is recommended to students that have less time in their schedule to work with a business one-on-one or who feel they need a bit more website and app experience.
Teams will consist of 3-4 students and 1 adult sponsor. We recommend using MIT App Inventor for prototypes of mobile apps and Google Sites for prototypes of websites, but it is at the discretion of the team to choose how they wish to present their prototypes.
The winning team receives $250.
Pitches Must be
8 minutes. Each team will be given a 2 minute warning and is expected to finish their full concept pitch in 8 minutes.
After your Pitch
The judges wll enter into a 5 minute Q&A period. The judges can ask anything from clarification questions to technical questions.
After Q&A
The judges will give you some feedback and then your team is excused until closing ceremonies. More detailed feedback will be sent to teams at the end of the via emails to the adult sponsors.
Teams Are Expected
To dress to impress! Please dress in Business Casual Attire (BCA) or Western Business Attire (WBA) at least on the part of you that is visible on the Zoom.