Apply for a 2027 Development Award
Build more opportunities for student founders on your campus.
Ready to support the next opportunity for student founders on your campus? Confirm your eligibility and gather your institution’s payment information before starting the application
Applications open September 30, 2026 • $2,500 in funding per institution • Limited funds available
You are a faculty or staff member involved in undergraduate entrepreneurship education; your institution is an eligible four-year college or university that offers at least one entrepreneurship course; and your institution can support at least one undergraduate team submitting to e-Fest 2027.
Quick Eligibility checklist:
Applicant and institution
- Faculty or staff member at a four-year college or university in North America
- Institution offers at least one entrepreneurship course
- Actively supports undergraduate entrepreneurship learning and experiences
Student team
- 2–5 members who are undergraduates enrolled in Spring 2027 or graduated no earlier than Fall 2026
- Faculty or staff advisor
- Students lead the venture, even if non-students are involved
- If selected for the Top 25, at least two team members and an advisor can travel to Minneapolis, April 22–24, 2027
Help us get funds to your institution without delays. The most common payment delay is an incorrectly completed W-9. If your institution uses a W-9, check that its legal name, EIN, and official address match the information you enter in the application.
Use your institution’s tax information, not your personal Social Security number. If the check should go to a different address, enter that address in the separate Preferred check mailing address field rather than changing the W-9.
Have the following information ready so you can complete the application in one sitting:
- Your college or university’s name and your department, center, or program
- Your institution’s official tax form, including its legal payee name, tax ID, and official address
- The address where your institution wants the award check mailed, if different from the address on its tax form
- The name and contact information of the person who processes incoming funds at your institution
- Whether your institution has received an e-Fest Development Award before
Funds are limited. Complete, eligible applications are considered in the order received.
Development Award Applications will open at 12:01 CST on September 30, 2026.
W-9 Upload Guidelines
Follow these instructions to ensure your W-9 is accepted and payment is processed quickly. Failure to do so may result in your Development Award application being denied.
1. Use Your Institution’s W-9
- Must be for a college/university or a foundation affiliated with a college/university.
- EIN only — Social Security Numbers are not accepted.
- Address must match the institution’s official address. Altered addresses may be rejected. (You may indicate a mailing address on the application, just not on the W-9).
2. Complete All Required Fields
- Line 1: Legal name of the institution or affiliated foundation.
- Section 3: Most institutions select “Other – 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.”
- Address: Complete mailing address (including state and ZIP code). Please note: this is the address associated with the W-9/EIN, not the mailing address.
- Signature & Date: Must be signed and dated within 1 year of the competition date (for e-Fest 2027, no earlier than April 2026).
3. Ensure the Form is Legible
- Clear, straight, high-resolution PDF scan or photo.
- No blurry images, white-out, handwritten edits, or locked PDFs.
- Submit only page 1 of the W-9 (no instruction pages).
4. File Format
- Preferred: Unlocked PDF.
- Acceptable: Word doc or high-quality JPEG.
