Every year, our team organizes regional pitch competitions that give post-secondary students and other members of the Kingston community, the opportunity to advance their early stage venture through funding and mentorship. In the annual Dunin-Deshpande Summer Pitch Competition, teams have the opportunity to receive up to $30,000 in seed funding from a prize pool of approximately $100,000. Competitors will go through a series of rounds and receive coaching from the DDQIC team and members of the global network to improve their final pitch. During the final round of the competition, audience members are invited to watch and participate in choosing the winner of the Wisdom of Market Award - a prize given to the audience's favorite venture.
Eligibility
This competition is open to ventures at Queen's and in the Kingston region. Applicants from all disciplines and backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply. During the adjudication process, applicants will be assessed based on the impact their venture has on the Kingston community. Applicants must be based in Kingston and the surrounding region, but do NOT have to be associated with Queen's University.
Please note, only ventures who have been funded less than $30,000 (grants, pitch prizes, loans, equity) are eligible to compete for seed funding. For ventures that have already received funding from DDQIC previously, you can pitch again, but you cannot pitch for/be awarded less than you were previously awarded by DDQIC.
Congratulations to all the finalists in our Summer Pitch Competition! Read about the award winners.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER - CO2L Tech - $30,000
DMB Translation Services - $15,000
Strictly Diabetic - $15,000
Armistice Biotherapeutics - $10,000
Kwela Brews - $10,000
Lotanna - $5,000
Canva Soap - $5,000
Campus Buy - $5,000
ARKE News - $5,000
BmDodo Strategic Design
DMB Translation Services - $10,000 in-kind
Strictly Diabetic - 5 hrs pro bono brand consulting
Canva Soap - 5 hrs pro bono brand consulting
CO2L Tech - 5 hrs pro bono brand consulting
We can’t forget about the Wisdom of the Market Award! Congrats to Verus for winning a $5000 prize for winning over the audience with your pitch
World's Challenge Challenge
Queen's Regional Pitch Competition
Interested in competing on a more global scale?
The World's Challenge Challenge is an exciting opportunity for Queen's students to identify a global issue they hope to address among the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and develop a realistic plan for implementation. Teams compete at the Queen's Regionals for a chance to receive up to $30,000 in funding and represent Queen's at the International Finals.
Deadline to apply is Mar. 21, 2023 @ 8 AM
To apply, teams will need to do the following:
- Create a team of 2-4 current Queen’s students with diverse skill sets and backgrounds
- Choose one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals to tackle
- Brainstorm and identify a solution to the global issue that has been selected
- Submit your proposal through our online application
Learn more about the challenge
