#VenturePrize2023 application period: January 23 - February 20
Step 1: Check eligibility
Applicants should first read through the rules and eligibility page for information on applications, competition details, presentations, and judging criteria.
Step 2: Complete the application form
Applications Closed
Download the application sample for viewing only. Applications must be submitted through the webform above.
*Timeline in this sample application may vary from actual event dates. Please refer to the Competition Timeline page for the most up to date information.
The deadline to apply is February 20 at 11:59 PM.
If you have any questions, please contact
ecem_changinstitute@sfu.ca
Eligible teams are required to complete and submit the Venture Prize application form prior to the application deadline.
Application forms must:
- be complete and accurate
- include an executive summary
- include a one-pager
- include your company logo (vector format preferred, .png or .jpg accepted)
Applications that are submitted incorrectly will not be considered for the competition.
Step 3: Preliminary round
The purpose of the Preliminary Round entry is to test the “fitness” of your venture against a jury of experienced mentors and advisors.
Based on the jury’s feedback, the winners for Idea Prize and Attribute Awards will be chosen (but not announced until the awards ceremony) and a number of participants will be selected to advance to the Venture Prize final round of the competition.
The participants advancing to the final round will be announced in March.
Applicants are assigned to compete in one of two streams:
- Venture Stream - for startups that are further out in their venture development
- Idea Stream - for innovative ideas that are ready for a kick-start
Applicants are automatically placed into their streams after the application screening process.
Winners of both streams will be announced at the awards ceremony.
Step 4: Final round
The final competition round evaluates two core attributes:
1. Concept – clear, concise description of promising business concept
2. Individual/team – expertise and ability to execute
The judges will use the following material to make their decisions:
A) Presentation - we strongly recommend to touch on the following:
- Clear concept description, including initial value proposition and revenue model
- Timeline from first thought to present
- Challenges faced and dealt with/lessons learned
- Personal/team Achievement
- Plans for the future
B) Executive Summary
HELPFUL RESOURCES
The Venture Connection resources page is a great place to start for finding resources on entrepreneurship, including writing company descriptions and preparing your pitch.