Lists / Student founders
Grants, competitions and accelerators for student and university founders, open now (Nov 2026)
On 15 Nov 2026, 9 programs for student and university founders are open in this list: 3 grants, 1 investor, 3 competitions and 2 accelerators; 5 of them have no closing date on the page read. The nearest two deadlines are 15 Nov 2026 (Berkeley Haas Startup Seed Funding, Fall 2026) and 6 Dec 2026 (Conception X Venture Scientist Fellowship, Spring 2027).
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Open now (9)
Soonest deadline first, programs with no written date last. The deadline is the program's own words; each page was read on 2 Nov 2026. Open the program's page before you apply: dates and terms change.
| Program | Type | Closes | What it gives | Who and where | Equity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Haas Startup Seed Funding, Fall 2026 | Grant | 15 Nov 2026Sunday 15 Nov 2026, 11:59pm PT (the page's words for the Fall 2026 deadline) | $5,000 student experiential awards, 10 to 12 in the Fall round, awarded in December; one-time. | Teams of at least two with at least one current Berkeley Haas student, MBA or undergraduate; other UC Berkeley students can join the team. | None: the page says so | The program's page ↗ |
| Conception X Venture Scientist Fellowship, Spring 2027 | Accelerator | 6 Dec 20266 Dec 2026 ("Apply by 6 December 2026" for the Spring 2027 cohorts) | Investment and expert coaching for top teams over a nine-month fellowship; the page states no amount. | Technical PhD students testing the founder path alongside the PhD; the page does not name a country. | Not mentioned on the page | The program's page ↗ |
| VentureWell E-Team, Spring 2027 | Grant | 25 Jan 202725 Jan 2027; applications open 9 Nov 2026 (dates subject to change, says the page) | $5,000 non-dilutive in the first stage and a further $20,000 in the second, up to $25,000. | Teams of two or more students with a faculty advisor, enrolled at a U.S. institution. | None: the page says so | The program's page ↗ |
| Rice Business Plan Competition 2027 | Competition | 29 Jan 202729 Jan 2027, 11:59pm CST; applications open 9 Nov 2026 (competition 8 to 10 Apr 2027) | Prizes; the page read here states no amount. | Collegiate entrepreneurs; see the Eligibility page. | Not mentioned on the page | The program's page ↗ |
| Dorm Room Fund | Investor | No date on the pageNo closing date on the page | A first check, described as "the first check for founders still in school or just out"; the page states no amount. | Founders still in school or recently out. | Not mentioned on the page | The program's page ↗ |
| EF Hult Prize | Competition | No date on the pageNo closing date: the page lists five rounds from Qualifiers to Global Finals in a September-to-September season and gives no registration deadline | US $1 million in seed investment for one of the top 8 finalists. | Teams of 2 to 4 students, 18 or older by 28 Feb 2027, enrolled in a degree program, pitching a for-profit business that supports a UN Sustainable Development Goal. | The page says the foundation takes a stake in the winning startup, typically 10% | The program's page ↗ |
| Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) | Competition | No date on the pageNo single closing date: the page says deadlines vary by location and the local deadline shows when you pick your competition in the application | A share of US $100,000 in cash prizes (the program's own figure). | Students enrolled in a college or university, part-time included, who own or control a student business that has run at least six months and has earned US $500 or received US $1,000 in investment. | Not mentioned on the page | The program's page ↗ |
| Thiel Fellowship | Grant | No date on the pageNo closing date: the FAQ says applications are accepted year round | $250,000 over two years. | Anyone aged 22 or younger without a university degree; a student who is selected has to leave school to accept. | None: the page says so | The program's page ↗ |
| Z Fellows | Accelerator | No date on the pageNo closing date: the FAQ says applications are reviewed on a rolling basis for the next cohort | A one-week program with mentors; you can take $10,000 at a $1B valuation cap or join without money. | Builders of any age, college students included; no company is needed to apply. | Optional: the $10,000 is at a $1B valuation cap, which converts to stock (the page's FAQ) | The program's page ↗ |
Questions founders ask
What grants, competitions and accelerators for student and university founders are open now (November 2026)?
On 15 Nov 2026, 9 programs for student and university founders are open in this list: 3 grants, 1 investor, 3 competitions and 2 accelerators; 5 of them have no closing date on the page read. The nearest two deadlines are 15 Nov 2026 (Berkeley Haas Startup Seed Funding, Fall 2026) and 6 Dec 2026 (Conception X Venture Scientist Fellowship, Spring 2027). 3 programs state on their own page that no equity is taken; the Hult Prize says its foundation takes a stake, typically 10%, in the winning startup, Z Fellows says its optional $10,000 converts to stock, and the rest do not mention it, so check the terms before you apply. Each row below links to the program's own page and shows the date it was read (2 Nov 2026).
Which grants and competitions for student founders close in November 2026?
1 program in this list close in November 2026: Berkeley Haas Startup Seed Funding, Fall 2026 on 15 Nov 2026.
Are there programs for student founders with no closing date?
5 programs in this list have no written closing date on the page read: Dorm Room Fund, EF Hult Prize, Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, Thiel Fellowship and Z Fellows. A program with no date can close without notice, so apply early.
What this list does not tell you
It does not say whether you are eligible: most rows are limited to students of one school, a degree level or an age, and the program's page is the rule. "Equity: None" means the program's page says so; "Not mentioned" means the page read says nothing either way, not that the program takes none. It is not legal or tax advice, and it does not replace the program's own terms or an adviser who has read them.
Left out: Rice Business Plan Competition and VentureWell E-Team (Spring 2027) join the table on 9 Nov 2026, when their applications open; Neo Scholars (the last page read closed 14 Jun 2026) and the Collegiate Inventors Competition (2026 entries closed, 2027 date not yet published) have no open call; Big Ideas Contest and Harvard President's Innovation Challenge take only their own university's students; Future Founders Fellowship and D-Prize pages could not be read, so they are not listed. A closing date counts only if it is written on the program's own page; Dorm Room Fund, Thiel, Z Fellows, GSEA and Hult Prize show none.
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