The Rhode Island Business Plan Competition today announced that support from new sponsors will allow the competition to boost the value of prizes it will award to this year’s winners to $165,000, up from $150,000 announced earlier this fall.

Shazamm, an award-winning interactive agency based in Providence, most recently joined the roster of supporters, bringing to 34 the number of organizations sponsoring the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition. Shazamm will provide website design services to the entrepreneur and student track winners in the 2008 Rhode Island Business Plan Competition...

...Charles Kingdon, associate vice president of Brown technology partnerships at Brown University, who also co-chairs the competition, added, “What young entrepreneurs need more than anything else is capital and advice. The Rhode Island Business Plan Competition helps on both counts since the prizes to be awarded includes cash and in-kind legal, accounting, and consulting services.”