Students from three provinces are competing for more than $19,000 in cash and prizes in a business plan contest at University of New Brunswick’s Fredericton campus.

UNB’s International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre is hosting the BMO Financial Group Apex Business Plan Competition at the Wu Conference Centre. The three-day event wraps up today.

Eighteen teams from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario are competing in either the undergraduate or graduate track. They are developing, directing, organizing and presenting their business plans in a practice round, and gaining advice from a panel of New Brunswick business leaders before going head-to-head.

Five thousand dollars will be awarded to the winning team at each of the two levels, with additional cash prizes going to first and second runners-up as well as the winner of the Viewers’ Choice Award, voted for by teams, judges and the audience.

The public is invited to attend the finals today at 12:30 pm in the J. Harper Kent Auditorium.