Event Information and Rules

Team Formation

• Teams will be formed at the kickoff event on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Teams must be finalized by 9:00 pm on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. 
• Teams will consist of a maximum of five UCI students, with at least three undergraduates per team. UCI graduate students can join teams, but will be capped at two per team.
1. *We reserve the right to increase team sizes depending on event participation.*
• Students should take diversity, gender balance, and the establishment of an inclusive team environment into account when forming teams.
• UCI alumni are welcome to participate as mentors for the teams; however, alumni are not allowed to participate in the pitch competition or receive funding.
• Teams should follow the UCI ANTrepreneur Center code of ethics (see below).
• Each team will receive a total of $1,000, split equally amongst each team member, after the final event on May 25, 2022, providing the team meets the following requirements:

1. At least one team member must be present and check in at each event.
2. Team must participate in final pitch competition.
3. Funds will be distributed to each team member a week after the final event once the team leader provides verification that all team members are UCI students and that the team has fulfilled points 1 and 2.

Business Ideas

• Ideas for the contest can take any form (including services, products, technologies, etc.), so long as the idea aims to address mental health issues for students.
• Students are encouraged to create original/novel solutions; however, existing ideas, technologies, frameworks, elements of previous research, and so on can be incorporated.

Pitch Presentation

• Each team will have three minutes or less to take the stage and pitch their business idea. 
• Pitch presentations will be followed by a Q&A session with the judges. The total amount of time for the pitch presentation and the Q&A session should be five minutes or less.
1. *We reserve the right to remove the Q&A component of the competition depending on event participation.*
2. * Pitching times may change based on number of teams participating*
• At least one person per team must deliver the pitch; however, all team members are invited to participate in the pitch or the Q&A session.
• Teams can use slides during their pitch presentation, providing they meet the following criteria:

1. Slides can include animations and GIFs. Audio and/or video content/video pitch submissions will not be allowed.
2. Slides must be submitted as PowerPoint presentations with an aspect ratio of 16:9. Google Slides and pdfs will not be accepted.
3. Slides must be submitted by 5:00 pm on Monday, May 23, 2022. Teams that fail to submit slides by this deadline will forfeit their right to use slides during their pitch presentations.

• Students will be provided a handheld microphone for amplified sound as well as a clicker if they have opted to use slides during their presentation.

Judging Criteria

• Teams will be judged on their ability to clearly communicate the specific problem they are attempting to address, their solution, and the market for their idea. 
• Rubric

• In the event of  tie, the tied teams will enter a 30-second “pitch-off,” with the winner determined by audience applause. If the amount of applause cannot determine the winner, then the winning team will be decided in a three-round rock-paper-scissors battle.

Awards and Prizes

• Each team that meets the aforementioned requirements will receive $1,000 (see “Team Formation” for details).
• Judges will select five teams who will receive an additional $5,000 in funding to continue the development of their idea. 
• Undergraduate finalists will receive entry into the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), overseen by the UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, to continue developing their business idea during Summer 2022.
• Graduate finalists will receive stipends through the UCI Graduate Division.

Special Prizes

• All teams who participate in the final pitch competition are eligible for the following special prizes:

1. $2,500 prize for a team focused on Digital Health Equity – from the UC Davis Health + AWS Cloud Innovation Center
2. $2,500 prize (in web credits) for a team incorporating Amazon Web Services (AWS) – from AWS 
3. $2,500 prize for a team using Sigma Computing’s cloud analytics platform plus the opportunity to interview for a paid Summer Internship – from Sigma Computing

• To qualify for these special prizes, teams must identify how they are integrating or plan to integrate the theme, technology, or framework mentioned above.
• Teams do not need to be selected as contest finalists to win a special prize.
• Judges awarding these special prizes reserve the right to select winners at their discretion.

UCI ANTrepreneur Center Code of Ethics

By participating in this event, you agree to do the following:

• Respect your team members and other participants
• Do your best to create an inclusive environment within your team
• Uphold standards of academic honesty and integrity
• Be supportive of team members and other participants
• Have fun and enjoy yourself!

Remember, while a competition, this event is meant to unite campus around a meaningful cause. Please be courteous, respectful, and uphold UCI’s high academic and professional standards.

Arbitration

If any disputes arise regarding the selection of contest finalists or special prize winners, arbitration will be handled at the UCI ANTrepreneur Center with all involved parties present. ANTrepreneur Center leadership will work with the various parties to come to a fair and final resolution.

Disclaimers

The UCI ANTrepreneur Center claims no equity rights on the ideas created or presented during the event. 

Teams that use UCI intellectual property in any way must disclose their use and understand UC Intellectual Property guidelines and regulations. Learn more about Intellectual Property at the University of California. If you have questions regarding this matter, please contact UCI Beall Applied Innovation for assistance.

Contact 

The UCI ANTreprenuer Center is available to offer support both during and after this event. Students are encouraged to schedule a consultation with ANTrepreneur Center leadership by sending an email to antrepreneur@uci.edu. Students are also invited to drop in at any time for walk-in assistance. The UCI ANTrepreneur Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Visit us here.