Dec. 20, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by South Dakota Biotech.

South Dakota entrepreneurs: Register now to compete for startup funds in the next Governor’s Giant Vision competition.

The South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, is accepting applications for the annual competition, which offers the chance to win up to $20,000. South Dakota college, university and technical school students can compete for a top prize of $5,000 in the student competition.

The application deadline is Friday, Jan. 3. Selected qualifiers will compete for prize money Feb. 26 in Pierre.

The Giant Vision competition offers an opportunity to showcase your business idea; connect with judges, investors and business experts; and gain invaluable exposure.

“We’ve been excited by the quality of startups, including student-led organizations, in recent years,” said Joni Ekstrum, executive director of South Dakota Biotech, which supports the program.

“There are more resources than ever to support startup development in our state, and this is an ideal way to showcase what some of our newest businesses are achieving.”

For application details, FAQs and free business development resources, visit southdakotagiantvision.com.

Organizations committed to the job creation and financial investments that result from this program include the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Black Hills Energy, Christiansen Land & Cattle Ltd., Dacotah Bank, First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard, MidAmerican Energy, NorthWestern Energy, NSF Great Plains I-Corp Hub, Valley Queen Cheese and Wheeler Manufacturing. Supporting the student program are Citi and South Dakota EPSCoR.

The Giant Vision program is chaired by Brad Wheeler of Wheeler Manufacturing in Lemmon, a former South Dakota Chamber board chair.