Entrepreneurship and Innovation Student Competition (E&I)

During the LEIRD (Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Regional Development) Annual Conference, in December, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Student Competition is held.

1. RULES

COMPETITION GOAL: motivate between university students their entrepreneurial spirit and stimulating the achievement of their academic goals by developing innovative entrepreneurship projects.

PARTICIPANTS: teams of up to four active college students. Teams can be interdisciplinary led by an engineering, technology or computer science student and endorsed by a faculty member at the institution where the leading student is enrolled.

PROJECT TYPES: any innovative entrepreneurship project including those with environmental, social or community impact.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: the registration form is available HERE. This form will be included as the first page of the paper. Papers will be delivered before the deadline via the Easychair platform, by the leading student, who, like the faculty member, will receive a confirmation by email to which they must reply.

PAPER AND VIDEO: The project will be presented by mean these two components. The evaluation will be carried out in two phases. In phase 1 the paper will be evaluated; it will be classificatory. Phase 2 will evaluate the video and the answers to questions from the jury.

  • Paper
    Contentsummary, problem definition, business model CANVAS, product market fit, user profile, product functionalities, minimum viable product.
    Formatup to 5 letter-sized pages, Arial 12p, 1.5 lines, PDF
  • Video 
    Content: summary explanation of opportunity and product
    Format: up to 3 minutes in MP4 format
    Answers to jury questions: live via AGORA Meetings platform

JURY: Group of teachers and/or entrepreneurs appointed by the LACCEI Entrepreneurship and Innovation Committee. Those qualified in the first phase, will receive a diploma of recognition, as well as the institution they represent.

2. EVALUATION CRITERIA

  1. Problem: It is shown that there is a significant need or problem that the project is trying to solve. A need or problem is a situation in which it is possible to make an improvement to existing conditions. A major problem causes a discomfort or inconvenience to users. Describe discomfort or need.
  2. Solution: The project is shown to solve a significant problem. The product, service, technology, or process solves at least one aspect of the need or problem.
  3. Innovation: It is demonstrated that the solution is unique in terms of concept, technology, or accessibility to it. The project (product, service, technology, or process) differs from other solutions that try to solve the problem in terms of features, user accessibility, or other aspects.
  4. Impact: It is shown that there are a significant number of people or organizations (potential users) who have the problem that the project will solve. Provide an estimate of the number of potential users with common characteristics based on a reliable source (e.g., government, industry association, prior research, etc.).
  5. Feasibility: It is demonstrated that the proposed solution is or may be accessible to the individuals or organizations that have the problem. The solution is conceptually feasible and applied; present photos, surveys, sales, likes, etc.
  6. Clarity and time management: The idea is clearly presented and meets time specifications.
  7. Passion: The style of the presentation is eloquent, enthusiastic, and convincing.

3. CALENDAR

  • Deadline for submission of papers
  • Evaluation of works
  • Invitations to participate in Phase 2
  • Deadline for submission of video
  • Phase 2 Virtual presentations
  • Winners proclamation

More information:

  • Click HERE for instructions on how to submit.
  • Click HERE to go to the submission website EasyChair. Use the track: Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition.
  • Questions: students@laccei.org

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