0000Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment

0000Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment

CI6415 Digital Entrepreneurship

2023-2024 Assessments (v1.1)

Assessment in CI6415 is based on two broad categories of activity that form the foundation of digital entrepreneurship in todays fast-moving commercial sectors, where you are likely to find yourself employed by a digital consultancy working with client entrepreneurs or establishing your own digital business as a digital entrepreneur.

In teaching block two you will act as entrepreneurs to work on an original idea of your own which you will research and using the tools and approaches covered in the class turn into an initial draft of a business plan for how you could turn the idea into a viable start-up business.

Assessment element Deadline Weighting

Coursework 1 Completed 50%

Coursework 2 2 April 2024 50%

Deadlines and Mitigating Circumstances

You must meet all deadlines. Failure to do so will result in a penalty. Deadlines for the module assessments are given in Table 1. Work submitted late but within a week of the deadline will be capped at 40% and receive a grade of LP (Late Pass) unless it is not of a passing standard in which case it will receive a grade of LF (Late Fail). Work submitted beyond a week of the deadline without approval, will get 0% with a grade of F0. For retakes, late work receives no marks.

If you are ill or have problems that prevent you from meeting the deadline, you may be able to negotiate an extension in advance. The University Mitigating Circumstances policy may apply. You will need to complete a form and attach suitable independent documentation. Remember if you submit a piece of work or attend an examination, you have judged yourself fit to undertake the assessment and cannot claim mitigating circumstances retrospectively.

Feedback

Ongoing feedback will be given in the synchronous online sessions. Students can contact module tutors online during published office hours, and/or email their concerns and questions. Final set of marks and feedback comments should be available via Canvas within three weeks from the respective coursework submission deadline (excluding holidays).

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is presenting somebody elses work as your own. It is an offence to copy materials (even if it is a phrase or a sentence) from the Internet or other work and publications. You must write everything in your own words. There is a heavy penalty for plagiarism, which could see you receiving a ZERO mark and subsequently your academic record may be affected. Further details about plagiarism and referencing can be found at:

https://www.kingston.ac.uk/documents/aboutkingstonuniversity/howtheuniversityworks/policiesandregulations/documents/AG03b-Plagiarism-a-student-guide-2019-2020-draft-v01.pdfCoursework 2

Module Learning Outcomes assessed in this piece of coursework

Understand the key elements of the business plan and how these can be used to build a compelling case for investment in a novel digital enterprise.

Critically assess how the technical and non-technical aspects can best be managed to ensure the successful implementation of a digital business.

Describe key technical and non-technical components, legal and regulatory business issues, social and business trends that form the foundation of a complex digital business project.

Assignment Brief and assessment criteria

Each student will be expected to work on an innovative idea and use that idea to produce a convincing business plan. The novelty of the idea will not be marked, and examples of potential ideas will be discussed in class which students will be able to use if they have no ideas of their own. The business plan produced needs to analyse what the legal and regulatory aspects of this idea might be, and how it can be protected, it should look at the potential market for the idea and competitors. The business plan should have a thorough explanation of the business strategy and how the business will enter the market, overcome competition and develop as a business. Students expecting higher marks will also address elements of the costs and finances of the business along with the team that would make the idea a success

The Coursework

All students will produce a business plan of roughly 4000 words, plans can go beyond that word limit but bear in mind that readability and writing style are marked, students can include additional sections in the appendices and these will not be counted towards the word limit. There is no specific template given as business plans need to be flexible documents depending on the idea explored. It will be expected that all submissions will address the key areas and students are able and encouraged to look for examples in real business plans, examples in books or previous students (anonymised) submissions which will be offered later in the teaching block.

There are two deliverables in this coursework:

A fully developed business plan for the concept analysed by the student, including aspects of the market, competition, marketing, strategy, and costs.

A video-recorded slide presentation directed towards a potential investor which explains the concept and key elements of business plan in a persuasive manner (if students wish to the presentation element can be done with the lecturer during workshop time in the last 2 weeks of the teaching block).

This is either an individual project or a group project.

Students will be encouraged to work in groups to discuss their ideas and the concepts covered in the course but will be expected to all submit individual business plans and presentations. If students have worked in groups then they should also submit a group contribution log with their business plan and presentation

Marking rubric - indicative

Criteria (linked to a learning outcome) Deadline Pts

Business Plan

The novelty of the students' ideas will not be marked

The marks for the business plan will be divided between the key sections of the business plan, including

Executive Summary

Analysis of the potential market including initial market sector

Analysis of the competition

Development of a marketing strategy, how the business will enter the market area that it has chosen

Thorough discussion of the strategy of the business and prospects for long term growth

Inclusion of financial, team and legal/IP details

In each of these sections roughly ten pts will be allocated with the remaining marks given for an overall structure and compelling narrative. 2/4/2024 70.0pts

Presentation of business plan pitch to prospective investor

The presentation should be around 5-minutes in length and should explain the business proposition in a way that is clearly understood. If it will be delivered remotely it should be a video of the presentation, featuring the team/individual speaking and covering the key areas.

2/4/2024 30.0pts

Total points:100.0

Detailed Breakdown

CI6415 TB2 Business Plan

Criteria Pts

Executive Summary

The report includes a high level executive summary, roughly 500 words/1 side of the report. This summarises the key conclusions and findings of all of the sections of the report in accessible language. The executive summary should include the Unique Selling Point of the Business Proposition, references to overall and initial size of the market as well as an indication of the time scale to reach those markets or other key milestones. Lastly the executive summary should also address key elements of the team and funding requirements identified. 10pts

Business proposition

The Business Plan should contain a clear explanation of the proposition. This section will reference any innovative aspects of the business (including product, approach and other aspects). The section should also address access to Intellectual Property and whether any aspects of the proposed approach can and would be protected. The proposition should make it clear what the USP (Unique Selling Point) of the business is. If appropriate, images, diagrams or figures can be included and will not count towards the word count. 10pts

Market and Competitor Analysis

The Business Plan will present an analysis of the market, including references to size of overall market and addressable market (initial target market). The plan should also contain a consideration of existing competitors or competitors in adjacent sectors and what the SWOT analysis of those competitors tells the investor about the marketplace. If appropriate, images, diagrams or figures can be included and will not count towards the word count. Additional details of competitors and analysis can be attached in appendices which will also not count towards the total word count. 10pts

Marketing Plan

The Business Plan should develop the analysis of the Market to address how the Business should enter the market (which sector/area or subsector) and what tools it will use to move into the position it wants to in that sector. If appropriate, images, diagrams or figures can be included and will not count towards the word count. 10pts

Business Strategy

The Business Strategy (of which the Marketing Plan is a necessary part) should demonstrate how the business plan guides the business through the first few years or months. This should include critical success factors such as partnerships, recruitment of key team members or achieving milestones in markets or development. If appropriate, images, diagrams or figures can be included and will not count towards the word count. It would be useful to see an indicative time line/gannt chart setting out the delivery of the strategy with key milestones indicated. 10pts

Team and Financing

The business plan should describe the team that will deliver the business. This should include the actual team writing the plan along with brief descriptions of appropriate skills and experience. The team should also included details of additional hires that the team needs to succeed as detailed in the strategy. The financing requirement should include a short financial summary as a table with descriptive justification or footnotes. The spending profile of the table should reflect the description of the business strategy. If appropriate, images, diagrams or figures can be included and will not count towards the word count. If you are attaching CV's of individuals already in the team or to be hired, these should also be as appendices. 10pts

Overall Style and Presentation

This marking criteria is awarded for the overall flow of the document. It is expected that the sections should read clearly and smoothly with a connected and coherent narrative. Marks will also be given for professionalism in presentation so it might be worth giving some thought to branding including logos and imagery. 10pts

Presentation and Content of the Slides

For the presentation part of the coursework 10% of the marks are awarded for the contents of the presentation itself. In the case of an individual or a group only submitting a powerpoint document but no video (or in person) presentation this is the only criteria that will be considered. 10pts

Communication of Key Points in Presentation

Marks will be awarded for the clarity of points from the business plan that are communicated during the presentation, including Unique Selling Point (USP), key elements of the market and the strategy to be adopted 10pts

Style of Presentation

Marks will also be awarded for the professionalism of the presentations and the style with which they are put together. Remember that you are trying to sell your business to an investor (albeit as an exercise) the more convincing that your pitch is the more points can be given. 10pts