Welcome to the 2023 Andrews University Pitch Competition
#2023AUPC

Important Dates

Event	Date	Time	Location
Info Session 1	Tuesday, January 31	11:30 a.m.	Garber Auditorium, Chan Shun Hall
Entrepreneurs Networking	Tuesday, February 7	11:30 a.m.	Student Lounge Buller Hall
Info Session 2	Tuesday, February 21	11:30 a.m.	Student Lounge Buller Hall
Deadline to Apply	Friday, March 17	7:00 p.m.	Submit Online
Semi-Finals	March 29-30	TBD	TBD
Finals	Friday, March 31	2:00 - 4:00 p.m.	Howard Performing Arts Center

Competition Format

Application Process

Your application includes two steps:
1. Application form, which is AVAILABLE NOW—CLICK HERE.
2. Slide deck (presentation):
  - Presentations can only be 9 slides long.
  - Must include all the titles and content suggested in the Template.
  - Colors, fonts can be changed, images, tables, and graphics can be added.
  - NEW template pitch deck is AVAILABLE NOW—CLICK HERE to open and download.
Deadline to submit both the application and slide deck is March 17 at 7 p.m.

Judging Rounds

All presentations will be judged according to the Official Rubric - CLICK HERE to open and download.

Preliminary Rankings:

All applications will be reviewed and scored by a ranking committee. This ranking will place participants in a Semi-Final group.
Participants will receive notification of their Semi-Final group for the next round by March 26.

Semi-Final Round:

Qualified partcipants will present to a judging panel during Innovation Week (March 29-30).
Judges will select the participants moving on to the next round.
Audience attendance is allowed during semi-finalists presentations.

Final Round:

Top 8 applications will compete in the final round.
Finalists will present in front of a live audience on March 31 at Howard Performing Arts Center.
Judges will select the top presentations.
Awards will be announced based on judges' scoring.

Awards

Both in-kind and cash awards will be given based on the scores by the judges during Final Round.
A total amount of about $30,000 of both in-kind and cash awards will be distributed.
Prior to the distribution of the award, the recipient(s) will be required to:
- Meet with the Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship to create a budget based on needs and growth plans.
- Submit a W-9 form to the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
In-kind awards may include any services by the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, such as prototyping materials and equipment, consultants, personalized coaching, software licenses, puchase of needed equipment, grant writing assistance, patent application assistance, and rental space in the future innovation center.

Social Innovation Award

MA Leadership in Social Innovation is sponsoring the Social Innovation Award - $10,000 in seed grants for innovation projects to be distributed to two (2) teams participating in the 2023 Andrews University Pitch Competition.

This $10,000 award is in addition to the $30,000 mentioned above; and it is specific to these requirements:

Two (2) teams will receive a $5,000 seed grant to initiate their social innovation project in Berrien County communities.
Each proposal may customize the capstone project to focus on areas such as:
- Social Entrepreneurship — to explore business opportunities that positively impact the communities
- Social Advocacy — seeks to ensure that all people in the communities are able to have their voices heard.
- Social Services — individual and community development and transformative change.
The proposal must demonstrate critical knowledge and skills in its project design, implementation, and evaluation strategy to affect change in the Berrien County communities.
The application process is the same as the Pitch Competition. Please indicate in the application that you wish to be considered for the Social Innovation Award. Consideration for the Social Innovation Award does not disqualify you for other awards.
The deadline to submit the application and slide deck is the same as the Pitch Competition: March 17 at 7 p.m.

FAQs

Who can participate?

Open to all undergraduate and graduate students attending on-campus at Andrews University.

Can previous participants join the competition again?

Yes, previous participants are encouraged to submit an application and participate. They are elligible for all awards.

Can previous award recipients participate again?

Yes, previous award recipients, who are still studying at Andrews University, are allowed to participate again and receive an award. However, teams who received a top award are not elligible for the top award again. Previous award recipients will be expected to have made progress since last receiving funding for their project. They will also need to show why they need additional funding.

Is it necessary to be part of a team to participate?

No, students can apply to participate individually or as part of a team.

Can the same person submit more than one application?

No, only one application per student will be accepted. The same student cannot participate individually and also as part of a team. A student can only be part of one (1) application.

Can international students participate and be eligible for prizes?

Yes, all university students, including international, who attend on-campus can join the competition and be eligible for prizes.

Is the competition only for business majors?

No, the competition is open to all majors.

Can ideas for non-profit organizations participate

Yes, both non-profit and for-profit projects can participate. Unlike the 2022 competition, the 2023 competition will not divide them into categories. Rather, all teams will be eligible for all awards.

Are awards taxable?

Yes, recipient(s) will be taxed depending on their visa or residential status. We will provide information ahead of time to all finalists.

Do I need to patent my idea before the competition?

It is not a requirement to patent your idea or product before the competion. However, if you think your product idea could be stolen, you may want to file a provisional patent application with USPTO ($70). If you need more information, contact us at innovate@andrews.edu.

Congratulations to All the Winners of the 2022 Andrews University Pitch Competition

Final Results:

Non-Profit Category