Big Idea Competition · Develop
Compete for $17,000 with a plan for your venture
Big Idea is Bradley’s largest student venture competition. Submit a two-page summary, and if you advance, pitch it live. Open to students and recent alumni every spring semester.
What you submit
A two-page written summary of your idea.
That’s all the first round asks for. You don’t need a pitch deck or a business plan to start. The idea can be an innovation, product, service, or solution for a for-profit, not-for-profit or social venture.
What you get
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$6k
1st
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$4k
2nd
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$2k
3rd
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$5k
in kind
The in-kind prizes cover coworking space and help from local experts with legal, accounting, patent, and trademark questions. Teams that advance also get coaching, and finalists work with mentors from the business community on their feasibility plan and presentation.
Who can enter
Any Bradley student, undergraduate or graduate, in any major and any year. You can enter on your own or as a team, and students from Bradley partner schools can join a Bradley student team. Teams can have up to five members. The idea must be developed during the current school year, and a business that already earns revenue can enter if its total revenue is under $100,000. Only Bradley students and alumni present in the final round.
How it works
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Screening round (February). Upload your two-page summary to the competition portal and complete the entry questionnaire. Judges choose 10 to 15 teams to advance, and those teams attend two coaching sessions to prepare for the next round.
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Innovation Expo (late March). Your team runs a table display that community members judge, and one spokesperson gives a two- to three-minute elevator pitch to a panel of judges.
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Final round (late April). Four or five finalist teams write a full feasibility plan and give a 10-minute presentation with 5 minutes of questions. The finals are open to the public, and winners are announced the same day.
Need help?
Ideation sessions help you brainstorm ideas, meet students from other majors, and form a team. Contact the Turner School at turnerschool@bradley.edu for individual help, or ask your instructor to invite the Turner School to your class for an ideation session. Some instructors offer Big Idea entry as extra credit, so ask yours before you enter.
Other Turner School competitions
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Ideas for Good Awards
A research poster on an idea that addresses a UN Sustainable Development Goal. Fall.
About Ideas for Good -
Turner School of Entrepreneurship & Innovation
The minor, the team, the speaker series and all three competitions.
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