Competition Rules

HOW TO ENTER

The designated Team Leader should complete the online application that consists of: survey information about the venture and team; uploading an Executive Summary (maximum 2 pages of text; 1 additional page of graphics/charts), and a 90-second Elevator Pitch video.

Once an application is submitted, no changes can be made.

Your application must be completed by Friday, February 26, at 11:59 p.m. (ET).

Teams who advance to the online Competition Week (April 5-9) round will be notified via email Friday, March 12, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. (E.T.)

Please note:

• The designated Team Leader will serve as the point of contact for venture.

• Team Leaders may only submit an application for one (1) venture.

• Eligible Team Members may only participate on one (1) team.

• There is no limit on the number of applications per school; there is no quota of teams per school.

• There are no fees to apply or to compete.

• Faculty advisors may be contacted and asked to verify the eligibility of the team.

ELIGIBILITY

Your startup/venture/team must meet all the eligibility requirements in order to be selected to compete. Please confirm that you meet the following criteria before applying:

Venture

• The competition is for new, independent ventures in the seed, start-up, or early growth stages.
• An existing business is eligible only if as of 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2020 it has received less than $25,000 in funding AND/OR has earned less than $100,000 in gross revenue.
• Ventures need to have a sustainable revenue model. Traditional non-profits, where fundraising is the only or main source of revenue, are not eligible for participation.

Team Leaders and Team Members

• Any student currently in or recently graduated from a not-for-profit, two or four-year college or university in the United States is eligible to participate.
• "Currently" means currently seeking an undergraduate degree and enrolled on a full- or part-time basis (i.e., from August 2020 – May 2021).
• "Recently graduated" means students who will graduate any time after September 1, 2020. (For example, December 2020 graduates are eligible to compete; May 2020 graduates are not).
• Each team must have at least on eligible team member who is a woman or woman-identifying to serve as the designated Team Leader.
• The Team Leader must have played a significant role in conceiving and have ownership stake in the venture.
• Teams may be comprised of up to five (5) eligible students. Solopreneurs are considered a "team" for purposes of the Draper Competition as long as the solopreneur meets the qualification to serve as the Team Leader.
• Teams may be comprised of eligible students from different schools.

Not eligible

• Students who graduated before September 1, 2020
• Any student currently enrolled in a graduate or non-degree granting program.
• An employee of any college or university. Neither staff nor faculty members may be part of a team.
• Ventures who have competed in prior Draper Competitions and received monetary awards in excess of $1,000.

Faculty Advisor

• Each team must provide faculty or staff advisor contact information on the application.
• Faculty or staff advisors may be asked to confirm the eligibility of the team

DISCLAIMERS

• The Competition Organizers reserve the right to disqualify any entry/team at any time that, in their judgment, violates the letter or spirit of the Competition.
• Smith College and the Competition Organizers assume no responsibility to ensure the confidentiality of any information disclosed by teams before, during, or after the competition.
• Applications submitted to the Competition are considered PUBLIC. The documents may be shared with Judges, advisors, future students, posted on websites, used for marketing purposes, etc. Participating teams should therefore ensure that their documentation does not contain secret or proprietary information.
• Participants agree to be photographed and recorded and allow Smith College free use of these images as well as a summary description of all executive summaries.
• AlI decisions regarding the competition rules, procedures, and processes are at the sole discretion of the Competition organizers.
• The selection of the teams to compete during Competition Week and the selection of the winners are at the sole discretion of the Competition Organizers and Judges.

DISQUALIFICATION

• Any team deemed to be using undergraduate students primarily as a means to participate in the competition will be disqualified.
• Any team deemed to be using womxn students primarily as a means to participate in the competition will be disqualified.
• Any team who intentionally initiates contact with any Judge prior to Competition Week will be disqualified.