Welcome to the Big Idea Competition!
You’ve got the spark. Make it real! The Big Idea Competition invites student innovators from all corners of the University of Pittsburgh to team up, roll up your sleeves, and bring your Big Ideas to life.
Whether you’re building a product, tackling a social challenge, imagining a new service, or crafting the next big digital experience, this is your chance to launch something.
Turn your idea into impact during one of the region’s largest student innovation challenges!
Why the Big Idea Competition?
- Gain access to coaching, mentorship, and an innovation community that supports you every step of the way.
- Compete for serious prize money, including $25,000 for the grand prize.
- Be part of one of the region’s largest student innovation challenges and join a community of problem-solvers and change-makers.
- Build, pitch, and elevate your idea!
Who can apply?
You! If you’re a Pitt student (undergraduate and graduate), postdoc, or UPMC resident with an idea and a drive to make change, you are eligible to participate. Applicants are encouraged to have a baseline understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship concepts at the time of application, as well as a plan for potential commercialization. Curious about what this means for you and your idea? Join us at Big Idea Blitz, a 24-hour+ idea development workshop.
Additional Requirements
- Your idea must be Pitt student-founded and Pitt student-led.
- Pitt students must be actively enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh for the duration of the competition.
- Students from other institutions are welcome to participate on a team but may not present on behalf of the team or receive any potential prize money.
- All ideas must be legal in the state of Pennsylvania at the time of application.
If you have any questions about eligibility requirements, please contact Jess Malandro, Assistant Director of the Big Idea Center, at jmalandro@innovation.pitt.edu.
Prizes
Prize amounts and number awarded are subject to change at the discretion of competition staff. Only currently enrolled Pitt students, postdocs, and UPMC residents are eligible to receive monetary awards.
- Grand Prize: $25,000
- 2nd Place: $15,000
- 3rd Place: $5,000
- 4th Place: $2,000
- Video Round: $2,000
The Application
All Big Idea Competition applications consist of a WRITTEN APPLICATION and a 60-90-SECOND ELEVATOR PITCH (no slides).
For more information on giving an impactful elevator pitch for a Big Idea Center competition or program, please review our elevator pitch one-sheet.
IDEA & TEAM LEAD APPLICATION
All idea leads and/or team leads must submit an IDEA/TEAM LEAD APPLICATION. This application serves as the main, written portion of your application. At the end of the form, you will be prompted to upload a file containing your recorded elevator pitch.
If you are a single-person team, you only need to complete the Idea/Team Lead Application. No further action is needed.
INDIVIDUAL TEAM MEMBER REGISTRATION
All participating team members on a multi-person team are required to register as part of the team. Team Leads only need to complete the Idea/Team Lead Application. Team Leads should ensure that all participating team members listed on the Idea/Team Lead Application have completed this requirement by the listed deadline.
Applications for the Spring 2026 Big Idea Competition will be available soon. You can stay connected to the Big Idea Center by following @pittbigidea on social media!
