Business Enterprise Competition

Business Enterprise Competition logo. A circle with a star in the middle. Additional text reads: Forsythe Entrepreneurial Center

Announcing Business Enterprise Competition at The Chicago Lighthouse!!

Do you have a business idea that you want to bring to life? The Chicago Lighthouse’s Forsythe Entrepreneurial Center may be able to help you get it off the ground.

Through our Business Enterprise Competition, The Chicago Lighthouse will award one entrepreneur who is blind or visually impaired with $25,000 in seed money to start their own business … and we will help five others develop business plans that can provide a pathway toward business ownership.

The competition is open to U.S. residents who are blind or visually impaired and will follow a three-phased approach.

A complete list of competition rules and rubric criteria is available here.

Phase 1: Initial Submissions

Interested parties should fill out this entry form  telling us about their business idea, the problem it solves or value it brings to the market, its target audience and what it might take to get the business off the ground.

In addition, you will need to provide:

  • Documentation certifying your blindness or vision impairment from a medical professional or state rehabilitation department, and
  • Complete a virtual skills assessment exam from World Services for the Blind.

Email these documents to fec@chicagolighthouse.org.

Application Deadline: Monday, November 24, 2025 (11:59 p.m. CDT)

Phase 2: Finalist Selection

Our team will evaluate the applications and select six proposals to move forward for the second round. In this section, participants will participate in a virtual, non-credit, non-certificate program with instructors from Miami University of Ohio’s Farmer School of Business. Working one-on-one with instructors between January and March 2026, participants will develop a complete business plan for their venture.

Finalist Announcement: Monday, December 22, 2026

Miami University Sessions: January 1, 2026 – March 31, 2026

Phase 3: Finalist Evaluation and Winner Announcement

Upon completion of Phase 2, finalists will be encouraged to submit their business plans for final evaluation. The Forsythe Entrepreneurial Center’s panel of judges will rate the business plans on a variety of criteria, including products, services and market analysis; marketing and operations plans; management and staff, and financial plan and capital viability. The panel may then award one of the finalists up to $25,000 in seed funding to launch their business.

Business Proposal Submission Deadline: Friday, April 3, 2026 (11:59 p.m. CDT)

Winner Announcement: Friday, May 13, 2026

 

Legal Disclaimers:
The Chicago Lighthouse’s Business Enterprise competition is open to legally blind or visually impaired U.S. residents over the age of 18. Candidates must have a significant operational role and majority ownership in the new business. The business under consideration must reside within the U.S. This competition is intended for new ventures in the start-up, or early growth stages of business development.
Interested participants must submit all of the following for consideration in the Chicago Lighthouse’s Business Enterprise Competition:
  • Completed Online Submission Form
  •  Written proof of legal blindness or visual impairment, in the form of a letter from a vision rehabilitation professional or medical doctor (on verifiable organizational letterhead, emailed to fec@chicagolighthouse.org).
  • Certification of completion of skills certification assessment from World Services for the Blind (emailed to fec@chicagolighthouse.org).
Plans will be judged on a rubric that will include criteria including company description, products and services provided, market analysis, marketing and operations plans, and financial and capital viability. The outcomes of the judges’ decisions as to award amounts and award recipients are final.
A complete list of competition rules and rubric criteria is available here.
The Prize:
Cash awards are not to exceed $25,000. ANNOUNCEMENT DETAILS TBD. Winners must be present to receive cash award.
Participant Rules and Requirements:
If you participate in the Business Enterprise Competition, you agree to accept and abide by its rules. The Chicago Lighthouse reserves the right to:
  • Update add to or subtract from the competition’s rules at any time.
  • Refrain from awarding any scholarships to Miami university to develop business plans.
  • Refrain from giving any cash award to any applicant to the competition.
  • Refrain from awarding the full amount of available funds in the pool; and
  • Deny an applicant to the competition for any or no reason.
    The following business models are excluded from the competition: buy-outs, real estate-related investments, tax shelters, franchises, or anything that could be considered a Randolph-Sheppard-related VR agency investment. Randolph-Sheppard vendors are encouraged to apply if they have a business plan to expand into the private sector for a venture unrelated to their Business Enterprise Program facility.

Contact fec@chicagolighthouse.org if you have any questions.

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