Welcome to the Andrews University Pitch Competition

Interested in being an event sponsor?

Review our sponsorship packages using THIS LINK.

Important Dates

Event	Date	Time	Location
Info Session 1 WATCH VIDEO RECORDING HERE	Tuesday, January 16	11:30 a.m.	Gaber Auditorium, Chan Shun Hall
Info Session 2	Tueday, March 5	11:30 a.m.	Gaber Auditorium, Chan Shun Hall
Deadline to Apply	Friday, March 15	7:00 p.m.	Submit Online
Entrepreneurship Hangout	Tuesday, April 2	11:30 a.m.	Gaber Auditorium, Chan Shun Hall
Semi-Finals	Wednesday, April 3	9 a.m. - 12 p.m, and 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.	Gaber Auditorium, Chan Shun Hall
Finals	Friday, April 5	2:00 - 4:00 p.m.	Howard Performing Arts Center

Event Sponsors

Gold

Silver

Bronze

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 15 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 24.

Semi-Final Round:

Qualified partcipants will present to a judging panel on Wednesday, April 3.
Judges will select the participants moving on to the next round.
Audience attendance is allowed during semi-finalists presentations.

Final Round:

Top 7 applications will compete in the final round.
Finalists will present in front of a live audience on April 5 at Howard Performing Arts Center.
Judges will select the top presentations.
Awards will be announced based on judges' scoring.

Awards

A total amount of about $60,000 of both in-kind and cash awards will be distributed as following:
- $30,000 in cash grants.
- $10,000 as part of the Social Innovation Grant.
- $20,000 in-kind awards from our sponsors and Andrews Innovation, including 12 months of Business Coaching for the top 7 teams.
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.

FAQs

Who can participate?

Open to all undergraduate and graduate students of Andrews University enrolled for a minimum of 3 credit hours.

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 are allowed to participate again and receive an award. However, 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. The 2024 competition will not divide participants 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.