ANN ARBOR – The Great Lakes Entrepreneur?s Quest, now in its seventh year, will open registration in its annual business plan competition September 12 with an Entrepreneur?s Roundtable at Ann Arbor SPARK.

In addition to statewide networking events, business training geared for start-ups, individualized business coaching, and mentoring opportunities with successful entrepreneurs and investors; this year?s program ecommercialization of products, and networking to financing resources.

The two-phase business plan competition has two categories of competition: New Business Idea level for very early-stage entrepreneurs and Emerging Company level for later-stage entrepreneurs.

In Phase I, both groups will submit executive summaries which will be judged by professional venture capitalists and angel investors in January. Phase II of the competition, Emerging Company competitors will submit an 8 -12 page business plan while those in the New Business Idea category will again submit an executive summary. Phase II will conclude in early June with top teams pitching their business to investors for their final score.

To mark the registration opening, the GLEQ and program partner – Ann Arbor SPARK Entrepreneurs? Boot Camp – will sponsor an Entrepreneur?s Roundtable event lead by GLEQ business plan winners: Kristine Kurnit, founder of Sensigen, and Todd Sullivan, founder of SpiritShop – on September 12th starting at 6 PM in Ann Arbor.

Sensigen won top GLEQ honors in 2004 with a non-invasive gene-based molecular diagnostic to detect early stage kidney damage in diabetes and hypertension. It also received the largest Michigan Tech Tri-corridor grant that year – $2.3MM and continues to commercialize its technology.

SpiritShop was the top GLEQ company in 2005. It operates an internet-enabled on-demand school-branded apparel and gear business and after completing the GLEQ program, subsequently raised over $1 million in angel funding.

The GLEQ provides cash awards and investments to top teams at the end of each phase of the business plan competition. The Michigan Venture Capital Association provides mentoring the top companies, while professional service providers donate valuable service time to winning companies.

Interested entrepreneurs should click on the GLEQ web site at GLEQ.Org