Supporting Co-Curricular Innovation on Your Campus
You know your students and what would help them take the next step. e-Fest Development Awards put resources behind that work, helping faculty and staff create opportunities that fit their campus.
The awards provide $2,500 to eligible colleges and universities for undergraduate entrepreneurship activities, including work that helps a team prepare for e-Fest 2027.
Applications are open September 30–December 31, 2026, while funds remain. Complete, eligible applications are considered in the order received.
Tracking five years of Development Awards
Campus partners have used these awards to create opportunities for students since the program began.
2022
59
$105,000
2023
59
$106,500
2024
58
$100,000
2025
42
$72,500
2026
51
$127,500
269
awards since 2022
$500K+
into campus programs
30 days
to fully fund the 2026 awards
Figures as of September 2026.
What it covers
What campuses have funded
The award supports undergraduate entrepreneurship activities outside the classroom. These are examples of how campus partners have used funding, not a prescribed plan for your program.
Campus pitch competitions
Prizes, judging, promotion, and workshops that help students prepare to present their ideas.
Prototypes and materials
Supplies and early development costs that help student teams test and build.
Travel and participation
Costs that help students and advisors take part in entrepreneurship opportunities beyond their campus.
Tools and space
Equipment, software, maker supplies, and resources for the places where students work.
Outreach across campus
Inviting students from a wider range of majors to explore entrepreneurship and bring forward ideas.
Mentorship and coaching
Connecting students with founders and operators and helping teams prepare their e‑Fest submissions.
Who can apply
Applicants must:
- Be a faculty or staff member at a four-year college or university in North America
- Work at an institution that offers at least one entrepreneurship course
- Be actively involved in undergraduate entrepreneurship learning and experiences
What award recipients commit to
Institutions receiving an award are expected to:
- Share the e-Fest opportunity with students on campus
- Support at least one undergraduate team in submitting to the e-Fest 2027 online round by January 31, 2027
- Explore EIX.org’s free teaching resources and share feedback on their use in classes or student activities
Student team eligibility at a glance
An e-Fest team must have 2–5 eligible undergraduate members and a faculty or staff advisor. Team members must be enrolled as undergraduates in Spring 2027 or have graduated no earlier than Fall 2026. Students must lead the venture, even when others contribute.
If selected for the Top 25 Finals, at least two team members and an advisor must be available to travel to Minneapolis for e-Fest, April 22–24, 2027.
👉 Review the complete list of e-Fest Rules & Eligibility before advising a team.
Before you begin the application
Have these details ready:
- 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
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 what you enter in the application. Use institutional tax information, not a personal Social Security number. If the check should go to a different address, enter it in the separate Preferred check mailing address field rather than changing the W-9.
Please note: Development Award checks must be mailed to an address affiliated with the W-9 submitted for the university or affiliated foundation.
Questions about payment documentation? Contact [email protected].
The people behind the awards
Development Awards are made possible by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and administered by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas. The awards reflect Dick Schulze’s belief in giving student entrepreneurs real support to build what comes next.
