E+I External Competitions

Coming Up

Deadlines Have Passed

Tulane Business Model Competition

Deadline: 23:59:59 UTC on January 20, 2023

Competition: Week of March 27, 2023

College entrepreneurs with promising startup ventures are invited to enter the 22nd annual Tulane Business Model Competition for a chance to win their share of a cash prize. In 2021 the cash award totaled $125,000.

Hosted by the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Tulane’s A. B. Freeman School of Business, this student startup competition is open to teams that include at least one degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student, in a leadership position, from any college or university. The Tulane Business Model Competition seeks early-stage ventures that can demonstrate how they are adapting to their customers’ needs. The contest rewards those that are creating commercially viable ventures through breaking down an idea into a key business model hypothesis, have tested their assumptions with customers; and applied Customer Development/Lean Startup principles to refine the model for improved success. 

For more information visit the competition page.

Please contact Professor English before applying, [email protected].

TCU Neely Values and Ventures

Deadline for applications: February 1, 2023

Event: March 24-25, 2023

A unique annual competition for undergraduate students around the world to pitch plans for businesses, products or services that make a profit while also benefiting the environment, the community or a specific population. Presented by the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX.

Unique Mission 

The Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures^® Business Plan Competition stands out from other business plan competitions by focusing on for-profit enterprises that specifically impact society in meaningful ways. Plans must demonstrate a societal or environmental need to be filled, as well as the profitability of the business. Check out the TCU Neely Website for more information and contact Prof. Yvonne English [email protected]

Values-Centered Enterprise Concepts 

A values-centered enterprise assures sustainable prosperity while also supporting the needs of company owners and shareholders, employees and their families, suppliers, customers, communities and the environment. Concepts submitted for this competition should seek to contribute to the health and well-being of specific internal or external stakeholders through its proposed products, services and profits. Examples could include contributions to sustainability, innovations in the health and life sciences, innovations in energy or opportunities for under-represented groups in business.

Prizes

Huge cash prizes are up for grabs from a $40,000 grand prize, to $2500 honorable mentions.

Draper Competition for Collegiate Women

Application Deadline: February 10, 2023

Round 2 (Online): February 27-March 1, 2023

Semi-finals and Finals: April 13-15, 2023

The Draper Competition for Collegiate Women Entrepreneurs is an on-ramp for undergraduate women seeking access to entrepreneurship opportunities, capital and networks.

e-Fest

Registration Opens: Friday, Feb 17, 2023
Registration Closes: Sunday, Mar 12, 2023 (11:59pm PST)

Event: April 27-29, 2023

Undergraduates from around the country are again invited to compete for an appearance at e-Fest®–a 3-day celebration of undergraduate entrepreneurship culminating in the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, where students have the chance to compete for over $215,000 in cash prizes.

For more information, please visit the EIX e-Fest® website and check out the e-Fest Informational Flyer.  To register, please contact Prof. Yvonne English [email protected]

Highlight: 2017 e-Fest

Grove City College Entrepreneurship majors Hannah Vaccaro ’18 and Ross Harrington ’17 earned a spot as finalists with their pitch for PeeWee Packs, a toilet training aid, in the 2017 EIX e-Fest National Business Plan Competition.  Read the press release here.

Baylor New Venture

Registration Opens: Sept 1, 2022
Registration Closes: Nov 6, 2022 11:59 p.m. (CST)

A Transformative Experience

The John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise will host the eleventh annual Baylor New Venture Competition on March 24-25, 2023 at Baylor University’s Foster Campus for Business and Innovation. This business plan and elevator pitch competition showcases collegiate student created, managed and led ventures from across the globe. The competition provides participants with personal and professional development through:

• industry-specific mentorship towards sustainable business plans,
• exclusive access to accomplished experts and fellow innovators,
• and a chance to compete for over $250,000 in cash prizes and vital resources.

Registration for this event is open from September 1- November 1, 2022.

Oregon New Venture Championship

Application Deadline: February 7, 2022

Championship Round: April 29-30, 2022

Join students from around the world to compete in the New Venture Championship. You’ll embark on a journey unlike any other—the chance to pitch your venture plans and compete for $50,000 in total cash prizes. Receive unparalleled, one-on-one feedback from world class business professionals and gain attention from angel investors.

This is your chance to make your mark. Venture on.

Want to learn more? Visit the competition page for all the details. Contact Professor English prior to entering at [email protected] for guidance.

Allegheny College Zingale Big Idea Competition

Deadline: Friday, April 14, 2023

Competition: April 28-29, 2023

The 2022 Zingale Big Idea Competition is a student-focused seed-funding business pitch presentation competition. The Annual Competition will award a whopping total of $25,000 in prize money among the student winners. This contest emulates the experiences seen on the popular CNBC broadcast, Shark Tank.

To be eligible to compete in the Zingale Big Idea Competition, all contestants must submit an Executive Summary of a business plan to Chris Allison no later than Friday, April 15, 2022 via email.  The Executive Summaries must include an overview of the companies financials, including monthly operating costs, startup costs and at least a 1-year income statement.  A three year outlook is preferable.

Please contact Professor English before applying, [email protected].

Future Founders U.Pitch

A prestigious national elevator pitch competition where top collegiate founders showcase business ideas to accomplished entrepreneurs and investors.

Applications for U.Pitch 2021 are now open! This year’s event will be 100% virtual. Consult the website to apply and the Contestant Handbook for important details regarding dates and eligibility.

For more information, please visit the Future Founders U.Pitch Competition website. Should you choose to enter, please let Professor English know as the Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation can assist you in the process. Good luck!

Deadline to enter is October 1st, 2021.

CodeLaunch Dallas

November 17th, 2021

What do you get when you combine a seed accelerator competition, tech tradeshow, a startup conference, and a raucous networking event?

You get CodeLaunch!

CodeLaunch sponsors and partners put thousands of dollars in professional seed services behind the winners of its national seed accelerator competition. CodeLaunch has become a unique and critical amenity to pre-MVP startups.

At the core of CodeLaunch is an annual seed accelerator competition between individuals and groups who have software technology startup ideas.

Applications for CodeLaunch Dallas are open until September 15th, 2021.

Pittsburgh Tech Council Civic Hackathon

This is your chance to connect with like-minded people in your community to make a difference.Think our communities could be better? Do you have ideas for solutions that leverage technology? Want to work with other likeminded, dynamic people? Have skills like web or mobile development, design, mapping, data analysis, research, or storytelling? Come apply your technical, creative, and business skills to transform our cities for the better.

Duquesne University New Venture Challenge

Duquesne University New Venture Challenge is a three-stage business plan competition open to anyone in the Pittsburgh region and beyond. They encourage submissions of technology companies and general business ideas, with emphasis on job-creating concepts after COVID-19 subsides.  Entrants should submit a short description of their business idea along with a one-minute video pitch. $5K in cash prizes.  DNVC Committee selects up to 20 semi-finalist teams to advance to Stage II.  Cash and service prizes valued at over $100,000.

Registration for this event has closed.

For more information, please visit the Duquesne University New Venture Challenge website. Should you choose to enter, please let Professor English know as the Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation can assist you in the process. Good luck!