Ready to Change the World?

If you’re an undergraduate student with a nonprofit or for profit business idea to make the world a better place, apply to become a Sparkseed Innovator.

What you could win:

  • Six months of comprehensive support, including:
    • Mentoring from entrepreneurs and executives
    • $20,000 in pro-bono services, such as legal counsel, accounting, design, etc.
    • $1,000 in seed money and up to $10,000 in follow-up funding
    • Skill-building webinars on topics such as writing a business plan, managing a team, pitching to investors, leveraging social media, and measuring impact
    • A four-day summit including networking, skill-building, and strategic planning.
    • A national network of young social entrepreneurs

The 2010 Sparkseed Social Innovation Competition is now closed. Check back in April to see our new class of student innovators. Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the competition for next year and the 2010 finalists.

How to apply:

  • Click "Submit an Entry" on the Sparkseed Competition page
  • Create a profile for your startup
    • In the "About Us" section of your startup’s profile:
      • Answer these three questions: (100 words max for each question)
        • What issue will your venture address?
        • Why are you pursuing this specific issue?
        • How will your venture solve this problem?
  • Submit an entry for the Sparkseed Social Innovation Competition on YouNoodle
  • Read Selection Criteria, Eligibility, FAQs

Overview:

  • 1st round – YouNoodle
    • Students create profiles for their ideas. Based on public voting and Sparkseed judging, the top ideas of the 1st round are selected to move on.
  • 2nd round – Business plan
    • Semi-finalists submit business plans. There will be an opportunity to receive feedback before and after submitting final drafts to our judges.
  • Final round – Final presentations
    • Finalists will have an opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. Depending on the finalist’s location, the presentation may be in-person or virtual.

Key Dates:

  • February 7, 2010 – Deadline for submitting elevator pitch videos
  • March 7, 2010 – Deadline for submitting business plans (semi-finalists only)
  • April 1, 2010 – New Sparkseed Innovators announced