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SDSU Social Venture Challenge

2025 SDSU Social Venture Challenge Topic:

Food Insecurity: Access, Availability, Affordability, Impacting our College Students, Military, Unsheltered, and Beyond

What is the SDSU Social Venture Challenge?

  • A pitch competition held annually at SDSU
  • Open to SDSU undergraduate students and graduate students AND other Southern California colleges and universities by invitation
  • The pitch is based on identifying a significant problem related to the impact of food insecurity in our region and presenting an innovative solution resulting in a social venture
  • $15,000 Grand Prize
  • Teams will compete for over $35,000 in cash prizes

What is a Social Venture?

The distinguishing characteristic of the social venture versus the commercial venture is the primacy of their objective to solve social problems and provide social benefits. The social venture may generate profits, but that is not its focus. Rather, profits are a possible means to achieve sustainability in providing a social benefit. The entity can be for-profit, non-profit or a hybrid. The problems addressed by social ventures cover a range of social issues, including poverty, inequality, education, the environment, and economic development. In the case of this challenge, we are seeking issues related to the impact of food insecurity on our region and beyond.

What Are the Requirements for SDSU Applicants?

  • Must be an active SDSU undergraduate or graduate student during the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters
  • Must have a minimum of two students (see above) and a maximum of four students on a team
  • Must have at least 2 students on the team available to participate in a live competition at SDSU on March 21, 2025 from 3-6 PM
  • We welcome ideas, not companies (startups with any revenue to date from product/services sales are not eligible to compete)
  • All majors are welcome!

In addition to submitting an application for the Social Venture Challenge, SDSU finalists will also be considered for the Hult Prize! The top SDSU application will compete in the Hult Prize National Competition during the months of March, April, and May. From there, selected teams will then participate in a digital incubator and a global accelerator until only 6 teams are left. The final 6 teams will compete for the $1,000,000 Hult Prize! Upon being determined by the selection committee, the top SDSU application will be notified and instructed on next steps. All travel and training related to competing for the Hult Prize will be provided by the ZIP Launchpad. To learn more about the Hult Prize, visit their website.

The SDSU Social Venture Challenge is a Southern California collegiate pitch competition, by invitation only. Work with your university to find out if your are eligible to compete!

What Are the Requirements of Nominated Teams?

  • Must be an active undergraduate or graduate student during the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters
  • Team must be available to participate in a live competition at SDSU on March 21, 2025 from 3-6 PM
  • We welcome ideas, not companies (startups with any revenue to date from product/services sales are not eligible to compete)
  • All majors are welcome!

How Are Teams Nominated?

  1. The participating school’s representative will submit a Google Form with the nominated teams’ names and contact information.
     
  2. We’re here to help!
    1. Have questions? Send us an email!
    2. Contact us at [email protected]

Prize Money:

  • Teams will have the opportunity to compete for $35,000 in cash prizes with a grand prize of $15,000.
  • Prize money won by students from invited Universities/Colleges will be distributed to the winner's home campus and awarded to the individual/team by their campus's payment department. The awards must be split evenly amongst team members.
  • Campuses must be prepared to work with the SDSU Research Foundation for payment processing. 
     

How is prize money distributed?

  • Prize money won by students from invited Universities/Colleges will be distributed to the winner's home campus and awarded to the individual/team by their campus's payment department. The awards must be split evenly amongst team members.
  • Campuses must be prepared to work with the SDSU Research Foundation for payment processing. 

SDSU Application Cycle

September 1, 2024 - December 11, 2024

 

Apply

 
 

Sample Application

 

SDSU Social Venture Challenge Presentation