Who can apply

Who can apply

Students enrolled at a Portuguese higher education institution, in a Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral programme (or equivalent, as long as it is degree-granting). You can apply on your own or as a team.

Your enrolment must remain valid until the end of the 2026/2027 academic year and, when applying, you must provide a certificate of enrolment as a PDF with a digital mobile signature.

Team composition

Every team must include at least one student meeting the conditions above. It may include other members: lecturers, researchers, alumni or external professionals.

Each person may only be part of one project in this edition, and each team may only submit one project.

Eligible projects

Projects must be original, and the team must hold all rights to them, without infringing intellectual property rights, contracts or third-party rights.

The pitch, the pitch deck, the Idea Pitch Framework and all materials must be in English, and pitches are held in person. Having taken part, in 2025, 2026 or up to 6 December 2026, as a semi-finalist, finalist or winner of another Portuguese business-idea competition is a positive factor.

What is not eligible

• Teams that have accepted equity funding: venture capital, business angels, convertible notes, SAFEs or other dilutive instruments.
• Teams that have sold shares, stock or economic rights of the entity associated with the project to external investors or to founders who do not hold management roles.
• Teams that have received non-dilutive external funding (prizes, grants, donations or similar support) above €100,000.

All funding already received must be declared in the application. In case of doubt about financial eligibility, the Organising Committee decides, with no right of appeal.