500K
Over $500,000 awarded annually in St. Thomas student competitions
Showcase Your Creativity
Competitions
Learn by Competing
St. Thomas students participate in many entrepreneurship competitions each year, to both sharpen and showcase their innovative talents. The Schulze School offers internal competition opportunities, and encourages students to compete outside our school, too. Our funding makes it accessible for students to take part in national and internations business plan competitions. These competitions bring the opportunity to win scholarships, as well as funding to get your business idea off the ground.
The Fowler Business Concept Challenge
In this annual contest hosted by the Schulze School, St. Thomas undergraduate and graduate students pitch their best business ideas. Scholarships of up to $15,000 are awarded to the top finishers and in two special prizes in each track.
$965,000 awarded in Fowler Business Concept Challenge scholarships to date.
St. Thomas Business Plan Competition
With two divisions of competition, this event invites St. Thomas undergraduate, graduate students, and recent alumni to submit business plans to compete for cash prizes totaling $38,000.
e-Fest
At e-Fest, the nation’s largest undergraduates-only business plan competition, over $215,000 is awarded for the best undergraduate business ideas. Students from around the country submit to the competition. Twenty-five undergraduate student teams are selected from a pool of almost 200 teams to participate in the annual competition, with winning teams receiving awards of $50,000, $30,000, $20,000, $15,000 and $10,000 for the top five business ideas.
E-Fest is sponsored by EIX.org, an online learning platform for entrepreneurs, students and professors and is hosted by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship.
Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge
A social venture learning experience for students, the Global Social Innovation Challenge has connected more than 2,500 students from 17 countries around the world — including Australia, South Korea, Rwanda, Ireland, Mexico and Peru — recognizing their outstanding social ventures based on positive impact and financial sustainability. Students can win up to $50,000 in seed funding for businesses at any stage.
To date, more than $400,000 has been distributed to seed the most innovative and promising global ventures.
“The best ideas often come from bringing together unusual combinations of disciplines.”
AnnMarie Thomas, Associate Professor in Engineering and Entrepreneurship
Participate in National and International Competitions
The Schulze School of Entrepreneurship has funding to support current St. Thomas students to participate in national and international competitions.To learn more about funding for these opportunities and more, contact us at schulzeschool@stthomas.edu.
This competition, hosted by Smith College, is for undergraduate women seeking access to entrepreneurship opportunities, capital and networks.
Do you have an idea for a conscious capitalism ventures that make a profit while also solving a problem? Check out this competition hosted by Texas Christian University.
The Heartland Challenge is designed to simulate the process of raising venture capital for a high-growth venture.
This competition, hosted by Rice University, provides students with real-world experience to pitch their startups, enhance their business strategy and learn what it takes to launch a successful company.
Bring your business to the global stage with students from all disciplines around the world in Bangkok.
The New Venture Championship is a business competition that inspires young entrepreneurs to develop their business dreams into a reality.