Rice Business Plan Competition
Offers a global graduate startup competition that mentors teams and awards substantial prizes to student founders.
The Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) is the world's largest and richest intercollegiate graduate student startup competition, founded in 2001. Each spring, 42 student-founded ventures — selected from 400+ annual applicants across global universities — pitch to investors, receive mentoring, and compete for more than $1 million in prizes across a three-day event at Rice University's McNair Hall in Houston, Texas. The 2026 edition (25th anniversary) hosted 125 founders from 35 universities, with prizes ranging from $950 guaranteed minimums to a $200,000 first-place convertible investment. Sectors include Energy/Cleantech, Hard Tech, Life Sciences, Digital Enterprise, and Consumer Products, with dedicated sector prizes for each. All 42 finalist teams are guaranteed at least $950 in prizes.
Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.