JUDGING CRITERIA
Judges are asked to evaluate the plans based upon their potential to become the
basis of a viable new venture, and will focus on the idea, its potential social value in
the Tibetan refugee communities, its potential for financial sustainability, and the
likelihood of achieving long-term success based upon the team’s execution plan.
Winning ventures will exhibit the following:
Understanding of Tibetan Culture and Challenges
 Population
 Demographics
o Age
o Income
o Education
 Available Resources
o Infrastructure
o Transportation
o IP structure
o Natural resources
o Energy
 Current Industries and Business Environment
o Why current industries and business environment are not effectively
addressing Tibetan problems
 Legal Rights and Restrictions
o Financial barriers
o Bureaucratic barriers
o Social barriers
 Potential Issues
o Public health and health care services
o Infrastructure limitations
o Financial support
o Language barriers
 Social Atmosphere
o Tibetan attitudes regarding India
o Tibetan attitudes regarding the economic environment
o Tibetan attitudes toward their general situation
o Generational differences in the above attitudes
 Political Atmosphere
o Relationship between Tibetan and Indian governments
o Relationship between Tibetan refugees and Indian government
Originality and Creativity of Idea
 Innovative idea – not just a replication of an existing model
 Distinctive from existing organizations and approaches
 Idea resonates and aligns with Tibetan interests
 Challenges people to think about Tibetan issues in a new way
 Inspires people to support it
Business Potential and Feasibility
 Realistic business venture for Tibetan implementation
 Fits within the scope of available resources
 Fits with Tibetan skillsets and education
 Financial projections based on available information and reasonable
assumptions
 Social impact metrics integrated into business model
 Potential to be fully self-financing
 Fundable and attractive to investors
 Can be implemented within a reasonable and specified time frame
 Clear, realistic and achievable goals
Financial, Social and Environmental Sustainability
 Feasible plan for long-term financial sustainability
 Identifies sources for future funding
 Aligns with the values of Tibetan culture
 Fits within environmental concerns of Tibetan
 Considers different dimensions of financial and social sustainability in a
conscientious manner
 Achieves sustainability within a reasonable time period
Scalability
 Potential to spread beyond initial location
 Adaptable to other areas to solve similar problems
Social Value and Impact
 Substantial contribution toward solution of problems
 Sustainable for long enough to achieve desired impact
 Business model integrates social and financial impact
 Generates social value above and beyond current state
 Social impact projections based on reasonable assumptions and credible data
 Clear and feasible plan for measuring and evaluating social impact
 Achieves social impact within a reasonable time period
 Identifies potential detrimental results of implementation
Likelihood of Success
 Clear roadmap for implementation
 Clear vision and growth objectives
 Clear execution plan, prepared to address potential risks
 Metrics for performance measurement
 Potential for sustainability
 Plan for scalability
 Aligns with Tibetan cultural values
 Creates a significant positive impact on the lives of Tibetan refugees
Strong Team and Polished Presentation
 Members have expertise in diverse fields
 Use of mentors/coaches
 A presentation that is professional, well-prepared, engaging and persuasive