Competitions, Prizes, and Funding

Competitions and prizes to encourage you to take the first step towards entrepreneurship

New Ventures Competition

The Tufts New Ventures Competition is the flagship entrepreneurship competition on campus. Entrepreneurial teams develop their ideas throughout the fall semester and apply in spring to compete for cash and in-kind prizes valued over $250,000.

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Additional Prizes and Awards

Prizes and Awards are presented to individuals or teams who demonstrate significant entrepreneurial achievement.

Montle Prize (Fall)

Paul Montle (Class of 1969) created the annual The Paul and Elizabeth Montle Prize for Entrepreneurial Achievement to commend Tufts undergraduate students who demonstrate outstanding entrepreneurial skills. Winners will be awarded a total of $35,000, divided between three individual winners.

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Ricci Prize (Spring)

The Stephen and Geraldine Ricci Interdisciplinary Prize is awarded annually within the Tufts New Ventures Competition to a team best demonstrate interdisciplinary engineering design and entrepreneurial spirit in their venture. The winning team will take home $15,000, split evenly among team members.

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Creative Arts Prize (SPRING)

The Creative Arts Prize is awarded annually within the Tufts New Ventures Competition. The prize supports the advancement of artistic entrepreneurship at Tufts through projects that foster an equilibrium of business and artistic innovation. The winning team will take home $2,500, split evenly among team members.

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Grants and Equity-Free Funding

Check out our grants and equity-free funding for entrepreneurial students at Tufts.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fund (EIF)

The Tufts Entrepreneurship & Innovation Fund offers small grants to individual students, student teams or student clubs to support them in their entrepreneurial initiatives.

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Tufts Venture Accelerator

The Tufts Venture Accelerator is an 11-week-long venture accelerator that provides structure, accountability, coaching and up to $10k of equity-free funding per team. 

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Policies

Use of generative AI

You may use ChatGPT or other generative AI platforms to help you develop an application. For each instance of text or images created with the help of generative AI, you must offer a citation used in the MLA style. You are also required to upload the entire chat transcript in PDF format. You will be prompted to provide the citation and transcript upload in each individual application form.

Conflict of Interest

Applicants to any Derby Entrepreneurship Center competition, prize, grant program, or the Tufts Venture Accelerator program during any given academic year that involves a cash or in-kind prize must abide by Tufts University’s Financial and Personal Conflict of Interest policy.