Dare to Dream Grants & Mayleben Venture Shaping Grants

About | Apply | Calendar | Grant Award History | TechArb

Mayleben Venture Shaping Grants

The Mayleben Venture Shaping grant program takes students through the process of constructing a viable business out of a business idea - a differentiated, sustainable venture that holds commercial promise and that can be launched. Once the business construct is completed, teams may apply for a Dare to Dream Assessment grant to evaluate the feasibility of their business.

Application
Please submit a concise description of the opporutnity or problem to be addressed, the proposed product/service, the potential makret and the uniqueness of the idea on the two-page application. Please download the application instructions to help complete it. Submit the application in .pdf format with resumes of each team member as a single .pdf document to dare2dream@umich.edu by 8 a.m. on February 4, 2013 with the subject line of “<companyname> Shaping”.

Award and Deliverable Details
Approved applicants will receive up to $500 and are required to complete at least one iteration of the venture shaping process. The process will help to generate a business construct that states what the final product is, who the customers are, and where the venture fits within the value system. The business construct can be submitted to apply for a Dare to Dream Assessment grant.

To participate in the accelerated grant program, please submit your deliverable by 8 a.m. on March 25, 2013. Later submissions of the final business construct will be accepted before 8 a.m. on April 22, 2013.

Dare to Dream Assessment Grants

Dare to Dream Assessment grants are for student teams with a proposed business that is selling a unique product or service with a clear market need. During the assessment process teams will establish the feasibility of their business in order to gauge whether or not to invest further resources and commit to launching the venture. Once this is established, an Integration grant encourages the creation of a full business plan.

Application
A three-page business construct must be written on the application that answers the who, what, why and how questions about your business. Submit the application in .pdf format with each team members resume as a single .pdf document to dare2dream@umich.edu by 8 a.m. on February 4, 2013 with the subject line of "<companyname> Assessment".

Award and Deliverable Details
Approved applicants will receive up to $1,500 and are required to write a feasibility study. This will evaluate the market, the financial concerns of the industry, and specific team issues. Students are also required to attend a 'feasibility study' workshop. The feasibility study can be submitted to apply for a Dare to Dream Integration grant.

To participate in the accelerated grant program, please submit your deliverable by 8 a.m. on March 25, 2013. Later submissions of the feasibility study will be accepted by 8 a.m. on April 22, 2013.

Dare to Dream Integration Grant

During the Integration grant process teams will write a business plan and create an investor pitch.

Application
Teams are encouraged to apply for an Assessment grant before apply for an Integration grant in order to complete a viable feasibility study. As part of the application teams are required to have a complete feasibility study conluding the proposed business is viable and must be committed to launching their venture. Submit the application in .pdf format with each team members resume as a single .pdf document to dare2dream@umich.edu by 8 a.m. on February 4, 2013 with the subject line of "<companyname> Integration".

Award and Deliverable Details
Approved applicants are required to attend workshops, write a complete 20-page business plan and create an investor pitch. Grants of up to $5,000 are provided and are paid half upon the award announcement and half upon acceptance of the final deliverables. Payments are made to the company, which must be legally established.

The final business plan is due by 8 a.m. on June 24, 2013. Student teams are eligible to receive an Integration grant only if at least one team member is still an active student at the time the final deliverable is due (students may not apply in their final semester).