Venture Competition
Funding competition for new business ideas brought forward by the University's community of staff, students and graduates
Applications are now closed. But come along to the Venture Pitch Showcase Final (the main event of Entrepreneurship Week), to see each team deliver a one-minute pitch to a live public audience.
Venture is a three-stage new business idea competition for all University of Dundee students, staff and recent graduates, split across different prize fund categories:
- Student and recent graduates (up to 5 years)
- Staff
Winners from the staff, student and recent graduates categories will be offered a place on Centre for Entrepreneurship's Summer accelerator programme and further prizes can be won by audience vote at the pitching final.
Hana Woods & Ahmed Sharaf, winners of the School of Medicine Venture Award 2024, MedAscend
What are the stages of the Venture Competition?
Stage 1 - Submission of online application form
- Complete the form below by 12 noon on Friday, 23 January 2026. This form will provide Stage 1 expert judges details of your idea and business aspirations.
Stage 2 - Submission of proposal form
- Finalists for each category will be notified of their selection following the judging process of the initial applications.
- The Finalists for each prize category will then be required to submit a completed Venture 2026 Stage 2 Proposal.
- A workshop will be held by the Centre for Entrepreneurship for advice and guidance in completing the proposal form.
- Stage 2 closing date is Monday, 23 February 2026 at 12noon.
Stage 3 - Private judging session and pitch showcase final
- The External Judging Panel will assess the Finalist's application forms and 3-minute pitches in person/online during private judging sessions based on their previously submitted Venture Competition Proposal Form.
- The private judging session date and showcase final will both be Thursday, 26 February 2026.
- Assessment of the Finalists by the External Judging Panel will be based on the Venture 2026 judging criteria that will be published on the Competition Website.
- Winners will be announced at the Venture Pitch Showcase Final (the main event of Entrepreneurship Week), where each team will deliver a one-minute pitch to a live public audience, and the best pitches will be voted on by the audience.