The competition, that will take submissions until October 15, allows students to pitch a business idea in front of judges and an audience if selected to move on to the final competition on November 15.

The goal of the competition is increase visibility of the opportunities offered by the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and to encourage more participation of QU students in entrepreneurial and innovative activities said Patrice Luoma, director for the People’s United Bank Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Luoma said that all students interested should not hesitate to submit an application as there is much to gain from the experience.

“Students will gain the experience of presenting a pitch idea to judges, present their idea before an audience, and gain public speaking skills,” said Luoma. “The skill of pitching is important whether a student is an entrepreneur with a startup idea, or a student going into a business or other organization where they need to be able to present their idea to have it accepted.”

The competition has two categories that students can choose from: commercial business and social impact enterprises.

“The commercial business pitch is for an idea that could be developed into a for-profit business,” said Luoma. “The social impact enterprise pitch is for an idea that will benefit one or more sectors of society to tackle a social or environmental issue, such as poverty, hunger, homelessness, gun violence, animal protection, and a range of environmental issues.”

Students of all majors and programs are encouraged to enter the competition and prize money will be awarded to the winners. Luoma feels that it’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up.

“I’d like to encourage students to give this event a try,” said Luoma. “Everyone needs to know how to pitch an idea whether for a new startup or to suggest an improvement in an organization. I’d also like to encourage faculty to give their students a push to enter this competition.”