Business Plan

Assessment Instructions:

A1: Business plan (90% weighting, 8000 words)

This can be based on either of the following possible scenarios: a) a comprehensive and detailed business plan for a proposed new business. Or b) a comprehensive and detailed business plan for an existing business in which you are substantially involved : either as a member of a family run business, or as the founder of a business, or a business in which you have a significant ownership stake

A2 – Poster Presentations (10% Weighting)

This is an individual poster presentation, based on your Business Plan, and timetabled in the May exam period. This will be in form of an Enterprise Fair, open to the public on the Frenchay campus. The dress code for this is ‘professional’ .

You will be expected to make a 60 seconds elevator pitch based on your poster presentation and to answer questions about the poster presentation. We are not interested in your ability to use PowerPoint or other software. Hence, you are not permitted to use a PC / laptop or any other electronic device.

Marking Criteria
Enterprise Project Element A2 – Individual Poster Presentation – Marking Guide
This element of assessment (A2) will be double-marked by two members of staff, one of whom will usually be the member of staff who supervised the student. The intention is to assess both the content and the delivery of your presentation. Both content and delivery will be assessed by looking at the poster, listening to the elevator pitch, and any subsequent questioning and discussion.
Marking guidelines: Presentation Content
% Mark Marking criteria / Grade descriptors
80% An excellent understanding of the opportunity that you are seeking to exploit, and of who your customers are.
An excellent understanding of the best way to deliver the appropriate value to your customers.
An awareness of the uniqueness of your proposition, and of the likelihood that it will generate sustainable competitive advantage.
70% An excellent understanding of the opportunity that you are seeking to exploit, and of who your customers are.
An excellent understanding of the best way to deliver the appropriate value to your customers.
An excellent understanding of what’s special about your proposition and why it’s going to work.
60% A good understanding of the opportunity that you are seeking to exploit, and of who your customers are.
A good understanding of the best way to deliver the appropriate value to your customers.
A good understanding of what’s special about your proposition and why it’s going to work.
50% A reasonable understanding of the opportunity that you are seeking to exploit, and of who your customers are.
A reasonable understanding of the best way to deliver the appropriate value to your customers.
A reasonable understanding of what’s special about your proposition and why it’s going to work.
40% An adequate understanding of the opportunity that you are seeking to exploit, and of who your customers are.
An adequate understanding of the best way to deliver the appropriate value to your customers.
An adequate understanding of what’s special about your proposition and why it’s going to work.
30% An inadequate understanding of the opportunity that you are seeking to exploit, and of who your customers are.
An inadequate understanding of the best way to deliver the appropriate value to your customers.
An inadequate understanding of what’s special about your proposition and why it’s going to work.
20% A poor understanding of the opportunity that you are seeking to exploit, and of who your customers are.
A poor understanding of the best way to deliver the appropriate value to your customers.
A poor understanding of what’s special about your proposition and why it’s going to work.

Marking guidelines: Presentation Delivery
% Mark Marking criteria / Grade descriptors
Excellent: +20% A strong narrative, presented with exemplary clarity, and with impact.
Good: +10% A good narrative, presented with reasonable clarity, and with impact.
Adequate: Par (i.e. zero) A reasonable narrative, presented with adequate clarity and with some impact.
Inadequate: -10% An inadequate narrative, lacking clarity, and lacking impact.
Poor: -20% A poor and/or incomplete narrative, lacking clarity, and lacking impact.

NB: Please note that we are not judging you on your verbal English here, we are however interested in your narrative (see the assessment brief), the clarity of your narrative, and the impact of your presentation – both visual and verbal.
The overall mark for element A2 will be calculated by adding the mark awarded for content to the mark awarded for delivery.

Formative feedback and Support

Students will have the opportunity in one of the workshops to do a mock elevator pitch and be given a formative feedback to help them improve on their presentation.

Further information about this assessment is available on the Blackboard site for this module and includes:
List any FAQs, guidance documents, module handbook.

Formatting: A1 – Business Plan

Please use the following file format(s) (Word or pdf). We cannot ensure that other formats are compatible with markers’ software.

All work should be word processed in 12-point font Times New Roman or Arial and single or 1.5 spaced.

The first page of your coursework must include:
• Your student Number
• The module Name and Number
• Your word Count
• The Business idea title
Word Limit
The maximum word limit for this coursework is 8000 words
• This word count includes everything in the main body of the text (including headings, tables, citations, quotes, lists, etc.).
• The references, bibliography and footnotes (provided footnotes only include references) are NOT included in this word count.
• There is no direct penalty for exceeding the word count, but the marker WILL stop reading once the maximum word limit has been reached and nothing further will be taken into account in the allocation of marks.

Marking Criteria – Element 1 Business Plan

(85-100%) Outstanding Pass:
A full, coherent and well-rounded submission showing rigor, clarity and insights leading to elements of originality that meets all the learning outcomes
Outstanding evidence of primary and secondary research methodologies and use of data.
Outstanding demonstration of ability to conduct research into a new business start – up or growth of an existing one through research, data collection, analysis, synthesis and produce robust conclusions or solutions
(70-84%) Distinctive Pass:
A well structured, relevant piece of work based on an understanding of virtually all the important aspects of a business plan with good reasoning and insight expressed throughout that is supported with strong evidence of primary and secondary research evidence and use of data.

Excellent demonstration of ability to conduct research into business start – up or growth of an existing one through research, data collection, analysis, synthesis and produce robust conclusions or solutions
(60-69%) Good Pass:
A submission that is well focused on the task, showing a good grasp of the business idea and based on most of the important aspects of a business plan. The use of primary and secondary evidence and use of data is well integrated into the Business Plan.

Good demonstration of ability to conduct research on a new business start- up or growth of an existing one, data collection, analysis, synthesis and produce reasoned outcomes.
(50-59%) Pass:
A submission which demonstrates achievement against all learning outcomes but with some limitations. Some evidence of use of primary and secondary data.
Reasonable demonstration of ability to conduct research into a new business start- up or growth of an existing one through research, data collection, analysis, synthesis and produce satisfactory outcomes.
(45-49%) Marginal fail:
Some of the relevant materials are identified and there is some indication of an appreciation of the subject matter but does not demonstrate that all learning outcomes have been met. Use of primary and secondary data is weak so is the ability to conduct research into a new business start- up or growth of an existing one through research, data collection, analysis, synthesis to produce satisfactory outcomes.
(0-44%) Fail:
Contains significant flaws, only a few of the learning outcomes for the module have been demonstrated

Referencing:
Please adhere to the principles of good academic practice and ensure you reference all sources used when developing your assessment
Before submitting your work, please ensure that:
• You have proof read you work thoroughly to ensure your work is presented appropriately
• You have addressed all the required elements of the assessment
• You have referenced in accordance with the guidance provided
• You have addressed each of the marking criterion
• The submission is in the correct format
Final feedback and marks release
Students will normally receive marks and feedback on their submission within 30 working days of the submission deadline (not including any public holidays or university closure days). Any delay in returning students’ work will be communicated by the module leader via Blackboard.
Feedback on this module is not limited to the written comments you will receive on individual written assessment submissions.

Feedback and marks for this module will be available by 19 May 2020

For further guidance on feedback, please refer to the module handbook.

Personal Circumstances
If you are experiencing difficulties in completing a piece of assessment on time due to unexpected circumstances (for example illness, accident, bereavement), you should seek advice from a Student Support Adviser at the earliest opportunity.