Development Grants are currently closed. Please check back in the summer for 2026 dates.
EIX and the Schulze Family Foundation will award up to $125,000 in development grants to institutions to support developing e-Fest teams and/or entrepreneurship related programs and activities.
To be considered for the grant, schools must be a four-year college or university, offer at least one entrepreneurship course, and encourage the development of an undergraduate e-Fest team.
First time grantees will receive $2,500. Schools that received a grant(s) in the past and met grant requirements are eligible for a continuation grant of $1,500.
Grant Rules
Funds are to be used to help develop e-Fest teams and/or support a school business concept competition or other undergraduate student-focused entrepreneurship activities. We expect grant recipients to mention e-Fest to their students and encourage the formation of at least one undergraduate student team. Funds are limited, all applications are screened for eligibility according to e-Fest rules, and grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Grant recipients must:
- be a 4 year college or university in North America
- offer at least one entrepreneurship course
- be engaged in student entrepreneurship experiences and learning
- encourage the development of at least one undergraduate e-Fest team and ensure their submission to the online round of the competition. Continuation grants will only be available once a student team has successfully submitted to the online round.
- visit the EIX.org website and provide feedback about using EIX.org entrepreneurship teaching resources in class and student activities.*
*Our EIX.org website offers free, peer-reviewed entrepreneurship teaching resources, research, and articles. EIX and the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation are the sponsors of e-Fest, which is held at the University of St Thomas, Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, in Minneapolis.
e-Fest Eligibility
- Must be all undergraduate students registered during 2025 spring semester, or have graduated no earlier than Fall 2024
- Must attend a 4-year college or university in North America
- Must have a team advisor who is on the faculty or center staff at the university
- Teams must have at least 2 and no more than 5 members
- Other people can be involved in the venture (non-students / past graduates), but e-Fest student team members must have a substantial leadership role in the venture
- Team members can be from different schools, but will submit as one team from one school for administrative simplicity
- Winning teams agree to allow their video submission and slides to be published by EIX
W-9 Upload Guidelines
Follow these instructions to ensure your W-9 is accepted and payment is processed quickly.
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.
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). This is where the check will be sent, so use an address valid for at least 2–3 months after the competition.
- Signature & Date: Must be signed and dated within 1 year of the competition date (for e-Fest 2026, no earlier than April 2025).
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.
