HOUSTON, May 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, BBVA Compass and the Houston Dynamo are creating an opportunity for a local small business to take the next step in its success.

BBVA Compass and the Dynamo officially announced the start of The Pitch contest today, May 1, with contestant submissions set to run through May 16. This is the third installment of the contest, which awards the winning business $10,000, and consultation sessions with Dynamo and bank executives, among other prizes.

"This contest has developed over the past few years we've done it, and it's turned into one of my favorite initiatives we've undertaken at the bank," said BBVA Compass Houston CEO Mark Montgomery. "We pride ourselves in doing all we can to support small businesses across our footprint, especially in an economically booming city like Houston. Small businesses are a big part of that prosperity, and this contest is one of the many ways we're giving back to entrepreneurship."

Similar to previous contests, The Pitch requires small business owners to submit their entry, detailing the nature of their operation, how they give back to the community, their growth plan and other aspects of their business. After the submission period ends, all entries are reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of BBVA Compass and Dynamo executives.

After shrinking the field of entries to four finalists, those four businesses will each create a video that embodies their business and why they should win the contest. Videos are uploaded to the Dynamo website, where fans will vote to help decide on a winner.

Along with the grand prize of $10,000 and free consultation, the winner also enjoys 2019 Dynamo season tickets.

"We are very excited to be supporting BBVA Compass on The Pitch once again. It is a truly unique contest that promotes and recognizes the spirit of small business," said Houston Dynamo President Chris Canetti. "As this tradition grows, I look forward to seeing the inspiring stories from the leading entrepreneurs in our community."

The Pitch has seen two previous winners during its existence, with JC Sports being crowned as the inaugural winner in 2016. Based in Humble, Texas, JC Sports operates as a youth indoor sports facility. The most recent winner, Small Places LLC, took home the top prize in 2017. The urban farm focuses on making agriculture in an urban setting sustainable, supporting of its community and profitable.

Potential contestants can learn more about the contest and where to submit entries at HoustonDynamo.com/BBVACompassPitch.

To learn more about BBVA Compass, visit: www.bbvacompass.com

For more news visit: www.bbva.com and newsroom.bbvacompass.com

About BBVA Group
BBVA BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, it has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States; and it is also the leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's biggest bank for market capitalization. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. More information about BBVA Group can be found at bbva.com.

About BBVA Compass
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 649 branches, including 336 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 45 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 18 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (6th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 6th nationally in the total number of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2017. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at www.bbvacompass.com. For more BBVA Compass news, follow @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visit newsroom.bbvacompass.com.

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SOURCE BBVA Compass