“Walking away with something real”:  Craig Business Plan Competition turns ideas into community impact

July 10, 2025

Craig Press

2024 BPC Winners - Harmonie House & Moffat County Customs, LLC

Since its launch in 2023, the Craig Business Plan Competition has helped bring local business ideas to life for its participants, but especially for the winners of the initiative’s grants. Now entering its third year, the competition is gaining momentum and drawing more participants while also offering greater prize money and a deeper level of support to aspiring and established entrepreneurs across Moffat County.

“This was really the brainchild of the Economic Development Advisory Committee,” said Shannon Scott, Economic Development Manager for the City of Craig. “We’d been struggling with how to support new businesses and entrepreneurs, whether through funding or consulting services. I’d had success with similar competitions in my previous role and we decided to bring that model here.”

The first competition launched in 2023 with $30,000 in prize funding from the Moffat County Local Marketing District. The same amount was distributed in 2024. For 2025, total prize funding has grown to $50,000 thanks to a $20,000 match from the City of Craig.

The funding is important, but the real foundation of the competition is the partnership with the Northwest Colorado Small Business Development Center, which offers free consulting services to all who enter the CBPC. 

“SBDC has been a partner since day one,” Scott said. “Whether it’s someone in startup mode, an existing business or even someone planning an exit strategy, they offer free consulting, and that’s huge. Even if someone doesn’t win, they’ve worked with advisors and subject matter experts to build a solid business plan they can actually use.”

The competition includes startup and existing business categories, with winners being selected by a panel of local business owners, economic development experts and financial professionals.

In 2024, one of those winners was Moffat County Customs, a car audio and electronics shop operated by Dan and Katie Johnston. The business began in a garage behind their home, but thanks to a $15,000 grant through the competition they moved into a full commercial space, expanded services and now plan to hire additional staff.

“This grant was the catalyst for taking the leap,” Dan Johnston said. “It gave us the financial cushion and confidence to move into a commercial location, which was a dream we thought was years away.”

Both Dan and Katie stated that without the CBPC, they would not be able to support the community and provide the range of services that they now do. 

Harmonie House, a community-based nonprofit supporting individuals with disabilities, won in the startup category in 2024. Founders Jennifer and Paul Pieroni used the competition as a springboard to grow services, such as Medicaid waiver navigation, in-home support and inclusive events like sensory-friendly movies at West Twin Cinema.

“When we moved here from Denver, we saw how limited the resources were,” Jennifer Pieroni said. “The competition helped us gain traction and expand our reach across Northwest Colorado.”

Dicnorimar Astor, whose 13-year-old son has autism and is nonverbal, described how difficult it was to access appropriate services before she began utilizing the supports that Harmonie House offers. 

“Jennifer helped me through the process of many applications for my son to get services and the support he needs,” Astor said. “Before Harmonie House, there just weren’t many options in Craig. But now, we are seeing real change.”

For participants, the competition’s greatest value isn’t the award money — it’s the guidance and time spent developing their business ideas.. 

“We’ve heard from folks who didn’t win that they were able to take their completed business plans to a bank or lender and secure funding that way,” Scott said. “It’s not always about winning. It’s about walking away with something real.”

Scott pointed out that High Altitude Geothermal, one of the 2024 participants, didn’t win but still benefited greatly from the structure and support the competition offered.

“They’ve said repeatedly how the process helped them secure funding and start their business,” Scott added. “That’s the goal.”

The format of the competition has evolved as well. In its first year, it spanned three phases over six to eight months, a structure that proved too lengthy.

“We shortened it in year two to a two-phase process and learned how to better market the competition,” Scott said. “It’s all about making it easier to enter, follow and benefit from.”

The competition is split into two phases, providing participants with a well-supported path to develop their business ideas. In Phase I, entrants submit a business overview and draft plan that outlines goals, target markets and funding needs. The panel of judges then reviews each submission and offers confidential feedback to help participants strengthen their ideas. Finalists from the first phase then move on to Phase II, where they submit a final plan and present it in person to the judges, who then decide how to distribute the prize money based on the strength of the plans and presentations.

The competition was designed in part as a response to Craig’s changing economy. With the impending closure of local coal mines and power plants, community leaders wanted to help workers and families imagine what might come next.

“We kept hearing from people leaving those industries who had great ideas but didn’t know where to start,” Scott said. “This gives them that start along with free consulting, potential funding and a lot of community encouragement.”

Entries in 2024 tripled when compared to the first year, which in Scott’s opinion shows that the program is gaining traction — a trend that she hopes will continue in 2025.

“The more funding we have, the more we can award,” she said. “Whether it’s two $25,000 awards or multiple smaller grants, it just opens more doors. The bigger the prize pool, the more incentive for people to step forward.”

Scott sees the competition continuing to grow and diversify in years to come. 

“More categories, more exposure and more local success stories — that’s what we’re working towards,” she said.

To those who might be leery of taking the leap and entering, Scott has a simple message.

“Come talk to me,” she said. “I’ve worked with so many people who weren’t sure if their idea qualified. Sometimes we just need to find the right angle and we’ll work with you and see if it’s a good fit.”

With a growing list of success stories, and a community willing to invest in its future, the CBPC is helping locals turn big ideas into real change — not just for themselves, but for all of Northwest Colorado.

“In Craig, the moment you open your doors, people root for you,” said Dan Johnston. “That’s something special.”

The kickoff for this year’s competition is July 10 at the Craig City Council chambers from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Winners of phase two of the competition will be announced on October 14 during the regular session of the Craig City Council meeting.

For more information on the 2025 Craig Business Plan Competition, visit DiscoverCraig.com/Business-Resources/2025-Craig-Business-Plan-Competition.