The Social Innovation Challenge (SIC) is a student social venture competition organized by the Center for Peace and Commerce at the University of San Diego. Through the SIC, university students in San Diego generate ideas for innovative ventures that respond to a social or environmental issue of their choice, and compete for seed funding to launch or expand their ventures. Social ventures may be for-profit, non-profit, or hybrid models with a domestic or international focus.
This is a student-based, academic challenge. In order to be eligible to apply for the “San Diego Track” of the University of San Diego Social Innovation Challenge, you must be a degree-seeking university student enrolled in at least 12 credits (per semester) as an undergraduate or 6 units (per semester) as a graduate student during at least one of the semesters or quarters of the 2014-2015 academic school year. Students must be enrolled in a university which is physically based in San Diego County and attend that branch/extension located within the county for those attending universities headquartered outside of San Diego with branches in the county. Students must comply with the Social Innovation Challenge deadlines to be eligible to enter the competition. Late entries will not be eligible.
Students enrolled in the aforementioned colleges or universities will be eligible for the “San Diego Track” award money only; only University of San Diego students will be eligible for the internal University of San Diego Social Innovation Challenge award money. A minimum of $17,500 and a maximum of $35,000 will be awarded to student projects in the “San Diego Track.”
In the case of proposals for nonprofit or for-profit businesses, you must be a C-level officer or director of the organization (e.g., Executive Director, CEO, COO) and, in the case of a for-profit organization, a majority owner, or part of a team of eligible students who are a combined majority owner.
A total of $75,000 will be divided among as many winners as the judges choose to select. The amount awarded will vary depending on the student’s educational institution (USD students have access to more award money) and the budget the venture has put together in their business plan.
Visit the program website for more information about this business plan competition.
The date you need to know? Monday, February 16, 2015. This is when Round 1 submissions are due.
Other events happening this winter that USD students can participate in include:
- Bangkok Business Challenge (MBA students only)
- UnderArmour’s $100K Business Plan Competition (Students under 30 years old)
