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Call for Applicants

The Center for Sustainable Enterprise at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School invites early-stage sustainable businesses from across North Carolina to join BASE, UNC’s Business Accelerator for Sustainable Entrepreneurship.

BASE is the first accelerator in North Carolina designed specifically to support businesses that address the triple bottom line: financial profitability, social equity and environmental sustainability. The program will connect sustainable ventures to a range of business development resources with the goal of accelerating their growth and impact.

BASE will foster sustainable enterprises that show promise on two levels:
1) prospects for financial viability and
2) prospects for positive social and/or environmental impact.

BASE supports for-profit ventures in the post-revenue stage that integrate a robust business model with substantial and transformative social and environmental impact.

Deadline

All applications must be received by 5 pm, November 15th, 2009.

Benefits

BASE will provide members with free access to:

• Regular workshops and networking sessions
• Regular office hours and discounted rates from BASE Resource  Partners
• Business coaching with a successful sustainable entrepreneur or business development expert and a Kenan-Flagler MBA student

Selection

Participants will be selected through a competitive review of application materials. Core selection criteria include:

• Highly innovative, transformative social and/or environmental change solution
• Credible and experienced leadership team
• A qualified market with high social and/or environmental need and growing economic potential

Application Process

• Questionnaire - All applicants must complete the Questionnaire by November 15th, 2009. Finalist notified by November 25th, 2009
• Pitch session - Finalists will be invited to pitch their businesses where they will meet with current BASE Members, Mentors, Resource Partners, Advisory Board, and MBA students, December 9th, 2009
• B Survey - Finalists must complete the B Survey* by December 15th, 2009

New BASE Members will be announced December 20th, 2009

*BASE has partnered with B Lab to offer BASE finalists an opportunity to measure and benchmark their social and environmental performance using the B Survey , a comprehensive, user-friendly, online survey which evaluates your company's impact on all stakeholders (Employees, Community, Environment, Consumers, and Governance).

Annual Membership Fee

• $400 - Businesses with revenue less than $100,000
• $600 - Businesses with revenue $100,000 - $250,000
• $800 - Businesses with revenue $250,000 - $500,000
• $1000 - Businesses with revenue more than $500,000

-$200 discount for B-Corporations http://www.bcorporation.net

-A limited number of scholarships will be awarded during the selection process.