Seeking Your Big, Bright Ideas

Members of the Tufts community are encouraged to submit their innovative ideas to the 10th annual Tufts $100K New Ventures Competition, sponsored by the Gordon Institute’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. In addition, the Tufts Entrepreneurial Leadership Program is sponsoring a new initiative called the Tufts Ideas Competition.

The $100K New Ventures Competition (formerly the Business Plan Competition) is aimed at encouraging commercialization of innovation within Tufts University. The $100,000 awards are given in cash and such in-kind services as legal and other advisory consultations.

Full-time Tufts undergraduates and graduate students, full-time faculty and staff and alumni who graduated within the last six years are eligible to enter. Full-time students at Tufts’ partnership schools—the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the New England Conservatory—may also enter.

Entries are being accepted through Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. ET. To enter, you need to submit answers to a series of questions through the YouNoodle site. Full business plans are not required for this initial submission, but finalists, who will be announced on Feb. 18, are required to submit plans for the April 7 competition.

The Tufts Ideas Competition was designed to provide support for early-stage business ideas from full-time students, faculty and staff. Winners will receive a $1,000 cash prize, mentorship and invitations to attend a series of workshops covering topics such as start-up legal considerations, financing and developing an effective pitch.

You can submit multiple entries in the Tufts Ideas Competition, and participants may also enter the New Ventures competition. Tufts Ideas entries will be accepted starting Jan. 24 at noon ET. The deadline for submission is Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced on Feb. 27.

Read a story and watch a video about last year’s Business Plan Competition: http://now.tufts.edu/articles/big-ideas.