Main External Competitions
[First Deadline: October 31, 2014] Retail Innovation Challenge Elevator Pitch Competition
[First Deadline: Feb 3, 2014] New Venture Championship
[First Deadline: Jan 29, 2014] Utah Entrepreneur Challenge
[First Deadline: February 21, 2013] Rice Business Plan Competition
[First Deadline: by invitation] Venture Labs Investment Competition (VLIC)
[First Deadline: by invitation] California Dreamin’ Business Plan Competition
**Please note: VLIC and California Dreamin’ are by invitation. BYU selects a representative team (usually one of the winners of the competition). If you are interested in competing in VLIC or California Dreamin’, please contact the NVC leadership team at millernvc@byu.edu.
Other Competitions (i.e., “The Big List”)
Big Sell Entrepreneurs in Action Competition: Purdue (Indiana)
2-minute pitch; Total prize: $6,000
Dell Social Innovation Challenge (Austin, TX)
Social change; Total prize: $105,000
Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition: University of Washington
Social change – reducing poverty; Total prize: $34,000
Global Social Venture Competition: U.C. Berkeley
Plans must have positive social implications; Must have one graduate student; Total prize: $50,000
Graduate Student Business Competition: LES Licensing Foundation (Boston)
Graduate; Early stage tech commercialization competition. Core IP licensing component required.
IBK Capital Ivey Business Plan Competition: University of Western Ontario
Open to Canadian graduate students; Total prize: $20,000; bid to VLIC
Idea to Product Competition: University of Texas at Austin
Must have underlying technology component; Total prize: $8,500
Latin Moot Corp Investment Competition: Fundacao Getulio Vargas (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Geared for Latin-speaking countries; Bid to VLIC
Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition: Singapore Management University (Singapore)
Undergraduate student contest; Total prize: $60,000
mai Bangkok Business Challenge: Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand)
For graduate students; Focus on sustainability; Total prize: $20,000
Michigan Business Challenge: Michigan State
Total prize: $60,000
Milken PennGSE Education BPC: Penn State (Philadelphia)
Open to anyone; Educational innovation; First prize: $25,000
Nebraska Innovation Competition: University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Total prize: $17,500
OFC Venture Challenge: Fayetteville State (Fayetteville, NC)
Non-profit created for minorities, primarily for Southeastern universities; Total prize: $22,000
Queen’s Entrepeneurs’ Competition: Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario)
Undergraduate student contest; Total prize: $25,000
Stu Clark Investment Competition: University of Manitoba (Manitoba, Canada)
Graduate competition; Total prize: $60,000
TCU Values and Ventures BPC (Fort Worth, TX)
Undergraduate competition; Values-centered (sustainability); Total prize: $32,500
The Brown-Forman Cardinal Challenge BPC: University of Louisville (Kentucky)
Graduate competition; Total prize: $30,000
The John Heine Entrepreneurial Challenge: QUT Business School (Queensland, Australia)
Graduate students from universities based in Australia and New Zealand; Total prize: $30,000, VLIC bid
Tulane BPC: Tulane University (New Orleans)
$100 per application; Total prize: $50,000; $1000 travel stipend
UC Spirit of Enterprise Graduate Business Plan Competition: University of Cincinnati
Graduate competition; Limo round; Total prize: $20,000; Bid to VLIC
William James Foundation Sustainable BPC: William James Foundation (Washington DC)
Social and/or environmental businesses; Idea phase and venture-phase; Total prize: $10,000
Youthbridge SEIC: Washington University (St. Louis, MO)
Open to anyone; Non-profit; Total prize: $35,000