Deadline Extended! Submit your application by May 4th!
Watch the On Demand Orientation Session here!
Dream it. Plan it. Launch it!
Enter PowerUP and transform your vision into a thriving business!
Who Can Enter?
PowerUP is open to aspiring and early‑stage business founders who:
- Are 18 years or older
- Live in Brooklyn
- Plan to start or grow a business in Brooklyn
To apply, you must watch the full On Demand Orientation Session here.
Why PowerUP?
Business planning guidance — Attend classes on business planning fundamentals, market research, marketing, and financial projections.
Free business counseling — Connect with business librarians and business advisors.
Real momentum — Learn the tools to refine your plan and build confidence as a small business owner.
Cash awards — Compete for $20,000, $10,000, and $5,000 prizes, plus additional awards.
Meet our 2025 Grand Prize Winners:
$20,000 Prize - Viva Art Studio! is a family-owned Latino creative space where creativity meets bilingual discovery. Its mission is to make learning Spanish fun and engaging by combining high-quality bilingual art education with creative exploration in a supportive, inclusive environment.
$10,000 Prize - Pikliz Please celebrates Haiti’s bold flavors through handcrafted, vegan-friendly pickled vegetables that turn everyday meals into peak flavor moments.
$5,000 Prize - Shorts Movie Theater will be the first-ever cinema dedicated exclusively to short films. This micro-cinema will offer a 40–50 seat theater that screens a curated selection of the best new and classic short films. The bar & café in the lobby, called The Suggestion Box, will host talkbacks, premieres and social events—and provide an additional revenue stream.
Meet our Merit Award Winners:
ProManage Services LLC - Audience Choice Winner
ProManage Services LLC is a construction administration consulting firm specializing in managing the paperwork-stages of projects both during active building and closeout.
Brooklearners
Brooklearners: Minecraft Education Club is an educational enrichment program for K–5 students that uses Minecraft as a dynamic platform to teach both academic skills such as coding, math, design, and digital literacy as well as conflict resolution, collaboration, public speaking, and emotional intelligence. Delivered either during the school day or after school, our program is designed to support whole-child development in a format kids love, and schools can seamlessly adopt.
Dimensional Dance Collective
Dimensional Dance Collective is a creative training space for young dancers ages 8–18 to explore movement, build confidence, and develop their individual artistic voice beyond traditional technique and competition. Programs help dancers strengthen their artistry while learning real-world skills like collaboration, leadership, and self-expression that prepare them for sustainable careers in arts related fields and beyond.
Reciboost
Reciboost is a Brooklyn-based e-commerce SaaS platform that transforms post-purchase receipts into personalized sales channels. Its plug-and-play technology embeds one-click upsell offers directly into order confirmation emails and SMS receipts, giving merchants a new stream of revenue while they do... nothing!
- Curious about the pitch contest? Watch a previous pitch competition below:
Since 2003, we have nurtured 10,900 individuals with over 1,800 business plans and awarded more than $650,000 in cash and in-kind gifts to Brooklyn entrepreneurs. Our success stories include more than 100 companies with passion for food and drink, health and wellness, arts and crafts, media and fashion, education, social justice, and cultural diversity—everything that makes Brooklyn great.
Some early winners, like Bogota Latin Bistro and Greenlight Bookstore, have become local institutions, while recent winners like Brooklyn Tea and Island Pops, hope to be the next generation of Brooklyn destinations.
We recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of Brooklyn Public Library's PowerUP Business Plan Competition. Visit our commemorative webpage to read alumni success stories and get inspired by two decades of Brooklyn entrepreneurship.
FAQs
- Who can enter?
Entrants must be 18 years of age or older, live in Brooklyn and plan to start a business in Brooklyn. Sign up for an orientation session to learn more about how to apply.
- What are the prizes?
Winners will receive cash awards as seed capital to start a business in Brooklyn. Cash prizes of $20,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place, $5,000 for third place.
- How can I apply?
The competition is administered through an online platform: https://powerup.smapply.io/ All prospective applicants must attend the orientation before applying. The orientation explains all the details of applying to and participating in the competition.
- What do I have to do to participate?
Participants must attend the orientation, get a Brooklyn Public Library Card, meet with a business advisor, and attend a minimum of 3 PowerUP webinar classes.
- What are the PowerUP classes?
Participants attend Zoom webinar classes on creating business plans, marketing, financial projections, and doing business research. The financial projections and business research classes are mandatory.
- Who are the business advisors?
Participants are referred to organizations in the community who offer free business counseling.
- May I submit a business plan that I have previously written?
Business plans must follow the format and guidelines provided by the competition. Previously written plans must be revised to comply with the competition guidelines.
- What are the judges looking for?
A well-researched plan that follows the guidelines and clearly shows:
- A need and use for the financial award
- How your business will provide needed products or services to the community
- How your business will be viable and successful
Staff Picks
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- Small Business
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