Heartland Challenge Startup Competition
Awards up to $40,000 to student-owned startup ventures pitching like a VC round.
The competition runs several parallel tracks, not just one grand prize: the Main Competition alone pays five placements, from a top prize of $40,000 down to $2,000 for fifth place, and separate Investor Roundtables sessions pay out further $3,000 awards from named investor firms sitting across the table from different teams. On top of that, the Elevator Pitch round pays its own first and second-pl…
The Heartland Challenge is a venture-capital-style pitch competition for graduate-student-founded startups, simulating the process of raising a funding round. It's open to any industry and judged on the strength of the venture and the team's pitch rather than a specific technology focus.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see how to apply
Sign up free to see where teams trip up
Guides for this application
All guides →Grant Pitch Deck Example: Slides, Storyline, and Video Script
See a grant pitch deck example with slide outline, EIC-style pitch logic, demo-video script, and grant-vs-investor deck differences.
DocumentsGrant Application Form Example: Fields, Attachments, and Portal Answers
See a grant application form example with common fields, portal answer patterns, attachment logic, and mistakes to avoid.
DocumentsLogic Model Template for Grant Proposals
Use this grant logic model template to connect inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, assumptions, evaluation, and budget logic before writing a proposal.
Similar grants
Browse the directory →Supernova Challenge
GITEX CAC · United Arab Emirates
Pays equity-free cash prizes to exhibiting startups that pitch live on the main stage at GITEX AI Kazakhstan.
Tufts New Ventures Competition
Derby E-Center · United States
Awards up to $250,000 in cash and in-kind prizes to Tufts-affiliated founders.
Deep Tech CEE Challenge 2026
🇵🇱Deep Tech Summit · Poland
Awards up to €5,000 and investor access to deep-tech startups that make its finals.
Desjardins Startup Prize — Early-Stage Prize
🇨🇦UTE · Canada
Awards University of Toronto-affiliated early-stage founders up to $15,000 CAD for a three-minute pitch, as part of an annual competition with over $100,000 in total prizes.
Santander X Portugal Award - Startup
🇵🇹Santander X · Portugal
Splits a €20,000 prize among three Portuguese startups, plus a spot in the global final.
Desjardins Startup Prize — Later-Stage Prize
🇨🇦UTE · Canada
Awards University of Toronto-affiliated later-stage founders up to $40,000 CAD for a three-minute pitch, as part of an annual competition with over $100,000 in total prizes.