DETROIT – If you’re a entrepreneur, dreamer or innovator in metro Detroit, you only have until July 13 to apply for the 2018 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest and get a crack at the $50,000 prize.
The contest is presented by Bedrock and the prize money comes from Comerica Bank. Entrepreneurs with a retail concept looking to open a brick and mortar location in Detroit, Highland Park or Hamtramck can now submit their business plans.
“The Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest is a catalyst for small business in Detroit,” says Vittoria Katanski, executive director, Hatch Detroit. “Independent retail helps define the character and personality of city neighborhoods. Together with partners such as Comerica and Bedrock, we continue to support independent retail while introducing 10 of the year’s best business concepts.”
The four-month contest includes two rounds of public voting – Top 10 and Top four – allowing the community to vote for their favorite businesses to win the $50,000 grand prize from Comerica Bank as well as a package of accounting, legal, IT and public relations support from Hatch Detroit and its partners.
Entrepreneurs can submit their business plans online at HatchDetroit.com/apply through July 13. For more information, visit HatchDetroit.com.
In addition to helping the contest winners open, Hatch Detroit is committed to helping its contest alumni succeed as well. Since 2011, 34 Hatch Detroit alumni have opened a business, and an additional 11 will be opened by March 2019. This includes the recent opening of 2016 contest winner Meta Physica Wellness Center.
The Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest has received more than 1,700 business submissions since its inception in 2011. The contest encourages crowd entrepreneurship to ensure residents have a voice in helping to decide the type of retail they want in their community. The public has cast more than 520,000 votes since 2011 and helped crown Hugh, La Feria, Batch Brewing Company, Sister Pie, Live Cycle Delight, Meta Physica Massage and Baobab Fare as the contest winners.
