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Summer Enterprise Development Grant

Summer Enterprise Development Grant - Copy

Launched by the Germain Boer (Founding Faculty Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Faculty Director) and generously supported by alumni underwriters, the Summer Enterprise Development Grant allows Vanderbilt Owen students to work on their startup over the summer break in lieu of a traditional internship.

 

Key Dates for the 2025 - 2026 Academic Year

  • Dec 12: Applications Due
  • Dec 19: Semi-finalists Selected
  • Jan 6: Optional Pitch Practice with the C4E
  • Jan 9: Winners Selected
                      Eligibility Criteria
  1. A Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management student must serve as the founder or co-founder of the startup.
  2. The Vanderbilt OGSM students must control 51% of the cap table for the startup.
  3. Only Vanderbilt students may present during the pitch part of the competition.
  4. This grant enables the founder to work on their business over the summer.  As such, recipients may not accept another internship offer for the summer.
  5. Winners are expected to remain in Nashville and meet regularly with the C4E to advance their business.

"Vanderbilt's Summer Enterprise Development Grant gave me the runway I needed to push Muze forward in a critical season. Having that support allowed me to focus on growing our user base, testing marketing strategies, and refining the platform, allowing our business to expand. It created space for me to think bigger, move faster, and make decisions that would have been impossible otherwise."

- Baxter Brown, 2025 Summer Enterprise Grant Recipient          

What should be in my pitch deck?

The Summer Enterprise Development Grant uses a six-slide format for pitch presentations:

  1. Problem: What problem are you addressing in the market?

  2. Solution: How does your product or service solve the problem your users face?

  3. Market Size & Dynamics: What is the total available market (TAM), serviceable available market (SAM), and serviceable obtainable market (SOM) for your product or service? What is the market’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR)? Who are your main competitors, and how does your offering differentiate from theirs?

  4. Go-to-Market Strategy: What segment of the market are you targeting initially (and why)? What is your business model? What marketing and sales tactics will you use?

  5. Team: Who is on your team, what are their roles, and who is advising your company?

  6. Traction: What milestones has your business achieved to date? (Examples: filing or obtaining intellectual property, acquiring users, demonstrating value creation for users, generating revenue, or winning significant clients.)

Note: It is wise to anticipate judges’ questions and prepare backup slides to reference when responding. However, these backup slides should not be included in the core presentation.

 

Should I print slides for the judges?

This is optional.  Most judges bring a laptop and can view your presentation while making notes digitally. If you choose to print your slides, we recommend using portrait orientation with two slides per page.

How long do I have to pitch?

You will have 7 minutes to pitch, followed by 3 minutes of questions from the judges. To be respectful of our judges’ time, we will promptly cut off both the pitch and the Q&A when time is up.

Will their be a timer clock I can see during the pitch?

Yes, we have a pitch timer that will display the elapsed time during your presentation.

How is the judging performed?

We select alumni with startup experience—as founders, advisors, or investors—to serve as judges. After the pitches, each judge is given a theoretical $1 million in investment dollars to allocate among the contestants. Judges may invest all, some, or none of their dollars in any pitch. The student founder who 'raises' the most investment is named the winner.

How much does the grant award?

The grant pays $15,000 total; $2,500 in May, $5,000 in June, $5,000 in July, and $2,500 in August.

Are the funds dilutive?

No, this is a grant that is given to your business.  Vanderbilt will not become part of your cap table from this award.

Does my startup need to be incorporated?

You do not need to have your startup incorporated at the time of competition; however, you will need to legally form a business by late March in order to receive payments in May.  The funds from this grant must be sent a business banking account.  We have several alumni at startup friendly banks and the C4E can help with introductions.

Are there restrictions on how I use the fund?

No - past recipients have used the funds to pay salaries (for themselves and others), executive marketing campaigns, take business development trips, and purchase supplies.

What reporting requirements are there?

In June each year, we ask you to complete a brief (under 10 min) survey to update us on the status of your business.  This enables us to build impact reports for the donors who generously underwrite this program.

Does the Honor Code apply to submissions?

Yes, the Honor Code applies. Participants must not misrepresent or embellish achievements pertaining to themselves or their business in any submission, pitch deck, or presentation. If the Center determines that materially false information has been provided, the following actions will be taken:

  1. Immediate disqualification of the student from the current pitch competition;

  2. Prohibition of the student from participation in future pitch competitions; and

  3. Referral of the matter to the Vanderbilt Honor Council for adjudication.