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Rules, Eligibility and FAQs

  1. A team must include at least one student enrolled in an Idaho University or College. While we encourage collaboration with industry, we require that that at least one student on the team be a founding member.
  2. High school-only teams are not eligible to apply.
  3. Graduates and undergraduates may apply as long as they are an active Idaho university or college student at the time of registration.
  4. Seniors who graduated in Fall 2022 may still apply and compete in the 2023 IEC.
  5. Competitors may submit ONE venture per competition year. Students are not permitted to be on more than (1) proposal/application per challenge.
  6. Only fully completed registrations will be judged in the preliminary rounds.
  7. We reserve the right to disqualify any proposal/application that we, in our sole and absolute discretion, determine not fit within the parameters of the challenge.

IEC Resource Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there restrictions on how the prize money can be used?

By entering the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge, participants acknowledge that funds awarded by the competition are intended for purposes of funding the business concept entered.

Can I change or substitute team members?

For the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge, team rosters may be modified (members added or dropped) up to March 10, 2023 – after that, no roster changes are permitted.

How is the prize money split between team members?

Unless written documentation is provided stating otherwise (signed by all team members), prize money is split evenly among all team members listed on the application as of March 10, 2023.

Does my venture have to be in a specific stage?

Your venture can be an idea, in development, or an early stage startup with or without sales. Be prepared to explain the problem you are solving, your solution, the market opportunity, your team, your go-to-market plan, financial model and progress to date.

What happens at the final pitch competition?

Every team will pitch their venture to 3 different judge panels. You will have 4 minutes to pitch your venture and 6 minutes of Q&A. Each judge panel will evaluate and score your pitch and teams will be ranked based on the cumulative scores of all three pitches.

How much money can my team win?

Total Prize Money: $50,000+ in cash prizes

Awards will be given to the top teams in each track. There will be four tracks: TBD.

Do I have to complete the application all at once?

You may update your application and add or remove team members at any time until the March 10, 2023 deadline.

Is there a fee to enter the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge?

There is no fee to enter the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge.