Accelerate Michigan Student Idea Competition quarterbacks student entrepreneurs

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

The University of Michigan has some big expectations for the Accelerate Michigan Student Idea Competition, an offshoot of the inaugural Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition.

"It's a great opportunity for our students and the state of Michigan," says Doug Neal, managing director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in U-M's College of Engineering. "I'd love to see 1,000 students participate in Accelerate Michigan."

That would put it on par with U-M's 1,000 Pitches competition, which attracted 2,065 participants in 2009; more are expected this year. Neal says the two competitions are quite similar because they both require students to primarily pitch business ideas.

The Accelerate Michigan Student Idea Competition offers three prizes totaling $50,000. Any college student attending school in the state is eligible. Participants must submit a one-page business plan, a three-minute video pitch, and formulate a 15-minute live pitch.

The deadline for applications is October 22. For information, click here.

The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition is offering $1 million in prizes to start-ups in Michigan or planning to move to Michigan. The idea is to showcase the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem to a large audience of investors in town for the Big Chill hockey game at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 11.

Source: Doug Neal, managing director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke