91社区

Overview

USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship 鈥淭HRIVE鈥� Pre-Seed Award Program

The Nault Center Pre-Seed Award Program is designed to support innovative and scalable entrepreneurial ventures. It is specifically offered to 91社区 students and faculty. This program provides pre-seed funding, coaching, and educational resources to help bring your business ideas to life and 鈥淭HRIVE鈥� in the future. Whether you're just starting out or in the process of securing funding and entering the market, we want to connect with you

Eligibility

•  Open to current 91社区 students and faculty regardless of major.
•  Applicants must be part of the venture's founding team as a founder or a founder-level leader. To qualify, 50% of your team must be a USF student or faculty member.
•  Awardees can receive up to $10,000 per venture, with the first half awarded upon acceptance and the remainder at six months, subject to program requirements.
•  All entrants must disclose in their application any sources of funding that the team and venture have received.
•  Applicants are encouraged to include a P&L and current balance sheet for the venture in their application if available.
• Teams must provide details on how they plan to allocate the award capital.
•  Allocations are one-time awards, but recipients can apply for differently-founded companies.

Support and Resources

Recipients will benefit from a range of resources including:

• Mentorship for up to two years with experienced entrepreneurs, industry experts, and alumni
• Access to networking events of like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders
• Introductions that can connect your company to USF programs and resources

Expectations

Winning teams are expected to:

•  Actively engage with program mentors and networking opportunities.
•  Provide a 60-90 second "lessons learned" video for public viewing on Nault Center for Entrepreneurship social media six months after receiving the award.
•  Provide quarterly progress reports and respond to semi-annual surveys for two years post-award to help improve the program.

Application Instructions

The application process consists of two parts:

1. Complete the application form with details about your team, the problem you aim to solve, your proposed solution, and how it can lead to a sustainable, scalable, stand-alone business.
2. Submit a 60-90-second video introducing your team and your venture, including an elevator pitch about the problem you're addressing and your proposed solution.

selection Process

Each application will be reviewed by a selection committee of Nault Center for Entrepreneurship staff, students, and advisory board members. Finalists will be required to interview in person, and the winning team will be notified of their acceptance status and award amount after each review.

application deadlines

All applications received after October 31 will be reviewed in the spring semester. Applications received after February 28 will be reviewed in the fall semester.

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CONTACT

• Frank Nunez
  Program Planner with the Nault Center for Entrepreneurship
  fnunez2@usf.edu
  
  
• Tim Ernest
  Project Manager with the Nault Center for Entrepreneurship
  ernestt@usf.edu