The first Business Plan Competition is being held in Dandong, a city in Northeast China's Liaoning province. The competition is sponsored by nine governmental departments, including the publicity department of the Dandong Municipal Party Committee and the Dandong human resources and social security department. The competition will last until the end of October.

A business plan contest and a Top 10 Entrepreneurs award will be part of the competition.

Those who have already set up their own business or have the intention to do so, including college students, migrant workers, unemployed urban residents and demobilized soldiers, are entitled to sign up for the competition.

Those applying for the Top 10 Entrepreneurs award should be registered permanent residents in Dandong and representatives of business entities. The applicants must have set up their first business after Jan 1, 2008.

The first round of the competition lasts until Sept 30, during which time, five business plans and six entrepreneurs will be selected for city-level competition. First, second, and third prizes will be awarded to winning business plans, and the top three winners will attend the first national business plan competition.

Edited by Zhao Qian and Michael Thai