A couple of hundred dollars can be the catalyst that transforms a mere idea into something tangible. Whether it's validating customers, testing assumptions, or simply taking that crucial first step, student initiatives often require a small amount of capital to thrive. Whether your project blossoms into a successful endeavor or serves as a valuable learning experience, there's immense value in moving forward.
In addition to funding, students embarking on ventures or founding organizations and clubs will receive invaluable support, mentorship, and connections through the W&M Entrepreneurship Hub. Seed Funding is allocated according to the composition of the team as follows:
- Single-person ventures – up to $250.
- Multi-person ventures or organizations/clubs with students from the same major – up to $500.
- Multi-person ventures or organizations/clubs where students are from different majors – up to $750.
Eligibility
- Students from any major or program may submit an application.
- Teams must include at least one primary founder or leader who will be a full-time student for the full duration of the project and can include multiple other co-founders.
*Teams may only be awarded funding once per year. Successfully funded ventures or organizations/clubs may only submit in a subsequent year if all post-funding expectations have been adequately met.
Selection Process
- Rolling Admissions: We operate on a rolling admissions basis, which means that applications are accepted and reviewed continuously throughout the academic year. This approach allows us to provide timely support to student ventures and organizations/clubs at every stage of their development.
- Monthly Reviews: At the first of each month, our dedicated review committee evaluates all submitted applications. Each application is carefully assessed based on its merit, feasibility, and potential impact. We strive to provide constructive feedback to applicants and support them in refining their ideas.
- Fair and Transparent Evaluation: Our selection process is designed to be fair, transparent, and merit-based. We consider a variety of factors, including the novelty of the idea, the clarity of the proposal, the team's qualifications, and the potential for success. We are committed to supporting a diverse range of student ventures and organizations/clubs from all disciplines and backgrounds.
- Ongoing Support: Even if your application is not selected for funding during a particular review cycle, we encourage you to reapply in subsequent months. Our goal is to provide ongoing support and mentorship to help you refine your idea and increase your chances of success.
Post Funding Expectations
- Funding recipients will be awarded funds according to the team composition schedule and then paired with an Entrepreneurship Hub mentor to help the team make progress on their idea.
- The team will schedule regular progress meetings with their mentor and will also provide an update to the Entrepreneurship Hub every 4-6 weeks.
- Once a semester, funding recipients are expected to record a short video progress update which may be shared with Seed Fund donors and on the Hub website.
Ready to apply? Click the link below to submit an application:
