External Competitions

The Hult Prize 

The Hult Prize challenges young people around the world to solve the planet's most pressing issues through social entrepreneurship. This year, you can pitch any idea you have for a social enterprise, as long as it is world-changing and aligned with at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

The Competition: Our year-long, global competition challenges young people to solve the world's most pressing issues by creating innovative social ventures. Every year, one team receives $1M USD in funding to make their idea a reality.

Winners of local competitions and top startups from our open application will compete in national events or participate in an equivalent online selection process.

Leading startups will refine their ideas, validate their product-market fit, create proof of concepts, develop MVP's, and set up actionable go-to-market strategies. We provide our entrepreneurs world-class resources, including online workshops and personalized mentorship from social entrepreneurs and industry experts.

 

 Learn more and apply here!

 

Please reach out to May Wang, Jim Moran College's Student Engagement Coordinator, with any questions.

 

Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge

 

The Fowler GSIC inspires student social entrepreneurs around the world to connect and create business solutions that address social and environmental challenges. Since 2011, they've connected more than 3,000 students from more than 25 countries around the world - including Australia, South Korea, Rwanda, The Philippines, Ghana, Mexico, and Peru - recognizing their outstanding social ventures based on positive impact and financial sustainability. 

 

How it works:

• Create a team with 1-5 members
• Analyze a social or environmental challenge
• Propose and validate a potential solution
• Pitch your idea for up to $75,000+ IN FUNDING

 

 Learn more and apply here!

 

Please reach out to May Wang, Jim Moran College's Student Engagement Coordinator, with any questions.

 

2025 TCU Values and Ventures Competition

 

TCU’s Richards and Barrentine Values and Ventures Competition invites undergraduate student entrepreneurs from all around the world to compete for over $100,000 in prizes. Semifinalists will be invited to TCU’s Neeley School of Business in Fort Worth, Texas from April 4-6^th, 2025 to connect with likeminded values-focused undergraduates from across the globe; network with judges, mentors, faculty, and potential investors; and compete for the $40,000 Grand Prize.

If you are interested in learning more, TCU will be hosting Zoom info sessions (link: https://tcu.zoom.us/j/3137021558):

·         November 22^nd from 2 to 2:30 PM CST

·         November 25^th from 10 – 10:30 AM CST

 

Applications are live now and will be due January 17^th, 2025, 11:59 PM CST!

Students can apply here.

Visit neeley.tcu.edu/VandV to learn more or email us at VandV@tcu.edu.

 

 Learn more and apply here!

Please reach out to May Wang, Jim Moran College's Student Engagement Coordinator, with any questions.

 

2025 EnergyTech University Prize

Business Plan Challenge

Sponsored by the Dept. of Energy - $400,000 in prizes

 

Collegiate students and faculty interested in energy and entrepreneurship are invited to participate in the EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP) 2025! This is a $400,000 collegiate competition challenging student teams to develop and present a business plan that leverages National Laboratory-developed or other emerging energy technologies developed by students, faculty, or industry. Throughout the EnergyTech UP challenge, students receive mentorship and materials to help them succeed. Background on the event is here.



Returning to the 2025 event is another track challenging faculty to develop and implement educational activities to engage more students in energy technology commercialization and entrepreneurship topics at their institution while competing for $100,000.



Ready to learn more? Join an informational webinar on Dec. 10 at 1:00 PM ET to gain a better understanding of how the challenge works and how to find ideas for your business plan!

 

Eligibility:

• Teams comprised of university or college students
• At least two students on the team
• Can be undergraduate students, graduate students or a mix
• Create a business plan based on a national lab technology or technology from your university
• Please see the official rules for full details

**Teams or technologies are NOT required to be a startup or part of a startup.

 

 Learn more and apply here!

Please reach out to May Wang, Jim Moran College's Student Engagement Coordinator, with any questions.

 

 

Rice Business Plan Competition

Experiential, Impactful, and “Best. Competition. Ever”

 

The RBPC showcases the best university startups from across the U.S. and around the world, while providing student entrepreneurs the unparalleled experience of pitching their startups to investors and learning what it takes to build and launch a successful business.

The competition, having completed its 24th year, gives collegiate entrepreneurs real-world experience to pitch their startups, enhance their business strategy and learn what it takes to launch a successful company. Hosted and organized by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship—which is Rice University's internationally-recognized initiative devoted to the support of entrepreneurship—and Rice Business. Over 23 years it has grown from nine teams competing for $10,000 in prize money in 2001, to 42 teams from around the world competing for more than $1 million in cash and prizes. It is the largest and richest student startup competition in the world.

 

We will be looking for startups to apply that:

• are student-driven, student-created and/or student-managed
• are from a college or university anywhere in the world
• have at least two current student founders or management team members (and at least one of those students must be a current graduate degree-seeking student (MA, PhD, MBA, JD, etc.)
• fall into one of our 5 sectors: Energy, Cleantech & Sustainability, Life Science & Healthcare Solutions, Hard Tech, Digital Enterprise, or Consumer Products & Services
• are seeking funding or capital (or will be in the next 12 months)
• are potentially viable investment opportunities

 

Applications are open until January 17, 2025

 

 Learn more and apply here!

Please reach out to May Wang, Jim Moran College's Student Engagement Coordinator, with any questions.

 

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Heartland Challenge Startup Competition

Key Details:

• Registration Deadline: January 17, 2025 (11:59pm CT)
• Final Presentations: April 3-5, 2025 at University of Arkansas
• Eligibility: The competition is for graduate students currently enrolled on a full or parttime basis (i.e. from July 2024 to June 2025) at accredited universities around the world (however exceptional undergraduate teams will also be considered). Students who graduated, or will graduate, after July 1, 2024 are included. Students who graduated before July 2024 are not eligible to participate.
• Prizes: 12 semifinalist teams will compete for a prize pool of up to $100,000

 

 

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XPRIZE Carbon Removal

XPRIZE Carbon Removal is aimed at tackling the biggest threat facing humanity - fighting climate change and rebalancing Earth’s carbon cycle. Funded by Elon Musk and the Musk Foundation, this $100M competition is the largest incentive prize in history, an extraordinary milestone.

This four-year global competition invites innovators and teams from anywhere on the planet to create and demonstrate solutions that can pull carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere or oceans, and sequester it durably and sustainably. To win the grand prize, teams must demonstrate a working solution at a scale of at least 1000 tonnes removed per year; model their costs at a scale of 1 million tonnes per year; and show a pathway to achieving a scale of gigatonnes per year in future.

 

Learn more and apply here!

 

Please reach out to May Wang, Jim Moran College's Student Engagement Coordinator, with any questions.