The Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge (UEC) is a statewide, student business competition open to all college students from participating colleges and universities in Utah.
Donor Name: Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
State: Utah
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 01/14/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
This competition is made possible by generous support from sponsors, mentors, judges, and staff members from colleges and universities across the state.
The business model is split into three components in the challenge: (1) a business-model submission, (2) a video submission, and (3) the final live presentation and interviews during the challenge final event. The top 20 teams will be selected by participating schools. Each school will review all relevant applications and nominate up to two student teams to participate in rounds 2 and 3 of the challenge.
The challenge provides resources to aid students in the creation and implementation of their business. Students gain valuable skills and experience to help them transition to the competitive world of entrepreneurship. Dozens of past teams from the competition have successfully moved forward and become successful businesses.
Funding Information
The competition focuses on development of a compelling student business and offers $75,000 of cash and in-kind prizes.
Eligibility Criteria
Competing teams must be composed of at least one Utah college or university student and meet all of the following criteria:
- The team must be organized and directed by a student from a college or university in the state of Utah.
- The founding student must be an active student during both semesters of the competition year.
- The founding student must be registered for a minimum of nine (9) credit hours during the semester they are participating. The credit hours must be taken as a matriculated, admitted, and degree-seeking student.
- The student team members must be involved in all aspects of the challenge competition.
- The team must not have been a top-8 finalist in past challenge competitions from previous years. (This eligibility requirement refers exclusively to the challenge and does not include any other events hosted by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute.)
- There are no restrictions regarding other team members; however, they suggest building a balanced team with a strong combination of finance, marketing, engineering and technology skills.
- For existing companies:
- If the company has been registered in any state longer than 24 months as of Sept. 1 in the year the competition year begins, a brief history of the company is required in the application.
- The cumulative revenue, debt, grant or third-party financing for the company has not exceeded $100,000 prior to Sept. 1 in the year the competition begins.
- The company cannot be a franchise.
An individual team may provide more than one entry; however, each business model must be registered separately.
For more information, visit Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute.
