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FAQs

This page contains FAQs on the EIBC Prize Fund and the Champion of Champions Final (pleas scroll down to see the latter). The FAQs are updated when we receive new questions from participating universities or students competing in the Final. If you do not find the answers that you are looking for, please contact us

Engineers in Business (EIB) Competition Prize Fund

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What is the Engineers in Business (EIB) Competition Prize Fund?

Engineers in Business Fellowship (EIBF) provides cash prize funds to individual universities and FE colleges that run business ideas competitions and modules that are open to engineering undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates. Universities are awarded prize funds of up to £3,000 per annum.  EIBF’s charitable aim is to increase the participation of this group in business education to increase their knowledge of business and their employability.

If we do not spend the whole prize fund on competition prizes, can we roll the rest of the money over for a subsequent year?

No. If you are awarded a prize fund and find that you do not need all of it for prizes, you will only be able to invoice for the value of the prizes you have awarded to students.

How can we use the prize fund?

The prize fund money must be awarded to the winning teams or individual winners (individual winners must be an ‘engineer’ or, if a team, then with at least one ‘engineer’ participant in the team). Typically universities award a first, second and third prize. However, we leave the distribution of the prize fund to you.

Can we use some of the prize fund to run and promote the competition to engineering students?

No – the full amount must be used for prizes for the winners.

Do we have to adapt our competition to apply for a prize fund?

No. You run your competition as normal. The only difference is that you will commit to promoting the competition to the target group (ie engineering students/graduates/postgraduates, alumni) so they become aware of the opportunity to participate.

Do the winning teams have to comprise only engineering students/graduates/postgraduates?

Teams can be multidisciplinary. However, the winning team must include at least one engineering student/graduate/postgraduate. If the prize is to be awarded to a single winner, this person must be an engineering student/graduate/postgraduate.

Can a team that has come up with a brilliant engineering idea, but does not include an engineer be awarded an EIB prize?

No, the winning team must include at least one engineering student/graduate/postgraduate. A prize cannot be awarded to a non-engineering person who enters individually.

Can we award the full prize fund to one winning team or an individual?

Yes. The prize fund may be awarded to a multidisciplinary team including at least one engineering student/graduate/postgraduate. If the prize is to be awarded to an individual, that individual must be an engineering student/graduate/postgraduate.

We don’t have an existing competition. If we set one up especially, can we apply for a prize fund?

Yes. Please be aware that the funding cannot be used to offset the cost of setting up, running or promoting your competition. The fund is for awarding prizes to winners.

Is there a time limit for running our competition?

Your competition will be completed within 12 months of your application being approved. If there is a time issue please Contact Us so that we can discuss the matter.

Are both FEI/HEI engineering students eligible to participate?

Yes, we welcome entrants from both categories as this enables people from diverse backgrounds to get involved.

Are engineering postgraduates, researchers and alumni eligible?

Yes. However, there is a limit on the number of years since graduation for alumni participants – this is five years.

Can people from the wider community participate?

The principle is the same as for alumni. If you wish to embrace the wider community, you may do so as long as there is a cap on the number of years the participants have been in the workplace (ie five years).

Are entrants/winners expected to turn their ideas into a real business?

No, participants are not expected or obliged to do this. A key goal for EIBF is for participants to engage with business topics as part of their educational experience in a way they might not have done without EIBF’s support.

Can an engineering student who develops a non-engineering product, such as a service or a food product, qualify for the prize?

Yes.

Can an entrant who is a non-engineering student who develops an engineering concept win a prize?

If the team is multidisciplinary (engineering/non-engineering students), it can share a prize.

Can any other faculties/degree disciplines apply for funding?

Yes, the competition now embraces some technology degrees, for example, computer sciences and biomedical degree courses.

Do you provide collateral for the awards presentations (eg a giant cheque)

No. This is something that each university organises.

Are first prizewinners entitled to a mentor if they do not turn their idea into a real business?

Yes, they are entitled to a team mentor who can provide support. The nature of that mentoring relationship is decided between the team and the assigned Sainsbury Management Fellow mentor.

Will EIBF send a representative to our awards ceremony?

It will be a pleasure to attend if we are able to do so. We cannot guarantee attendance as this will depend on the availability of our Sainsbury Management Fellows.

When are the funds paid to the university?/Where do I send the invoice?

The competition prize fund is paid to the university after the university submits its post-competition report to EIBF. Once the report is signed off, you will be advised that you can submit your invoice for payment to:

Cathy Breeze

Director of Communications

Sainsbury Management Fellows

Engineers in Business Fellowship

16 Western Road

Lymington

Hampshire, SO41 9HL

cathy.breeze@smf.org.uk


Please note that Engineers in Business Fellowship (EIBF) is a registered charity – number 1147203 and is a company limited by guarantee: 07807250. EIBF is not a VAT registered organisation.

Which winners are entitled to a mentor?

The first prize winning team wins mentoring. One mentor will be assigned to the team, not one mentor per individual team member.

How do the first prize winners get their mentor?

Either the university enterprise educator or the winner should contact the EIB office to confirm that they would like a mentor. Please provide a short explanation of what type of help/mentor they need (eg if there is a particular industry sector, is there a particular issue you want to look at such as IP / marketing etc). Email this information to eibcompetition@eibc.org.uk. We will then match your requirements with our Sainsbury Management Fellows and connect you with your mentor.

Can an individual student apply for the EIB prize fund?

No. The prize fund is provided to universities only to enable them to provide prizes for students/graduates taking part in their innovation competitions. If your university is interested in this, please ask the relevant person to contact us.

How is the prize money to be used by university winners?

EIBF makes no stipulations on the use of the prize fund. Any financial prize won may be used by the winners how they wish, whether that is to develop their innovation or their career, or something else. Prize money won by a team (as opposed to an individual) must be shared between the team members.

Is there a deadline to make an application?

No. We make prize fund awards on a rolling basis.  If you would like your winners to take part in the Engineers in Business Champion of Champions Competition, you will need to select your prize winners before the entry closing date which is usually the first week of September.  This will enable your prize winners to enter the Champion of Champions Competition.

EIBC Champion of Champions Competition

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When is the next Champion of Champions Final (Grand Final)?

The EIBC Champion of Champions Final will take place on 2 and 3 November 2023.

Which students/graduates can enter the Champion of Champions Final?

All students/graduates (studying engineering, computing subjects and biomedicine) are eligible to enter the EIBC Champion of Champions Final, so long as they have taken part in a university Enterprise Competition during 2022/2023. They do not need to have  won an Engineers in Business prize to enter the Final.

How is the prize money to be used by the Grand Final Winners?

EIBF makes no stipulations on the use of the prize fund. Any financial prize won may be used by the winners how they wish, whether that is to develop their innovation or their career, or something else. Prize money won by a team (as opposed to an individual) must be shared between the team members.

Can a previous finalist in the Champion of Champions Final enter a subsequent Final?

A team or individual student/graduate may not re-enter with the same innovation previously presented. If the team or individual (in the right degree classifications – engineering, computing, biomedicine) is still engaged with the university and has developed a new concept, they are eligible to enter the Champion of Champions Final.

Can we submit a different business idea to the one we submitted in our university competition?

Yes, you may.

Can we submit more than one entry?

No – it’s one entry per team or individual (if the person is working alone rather than in a team).

What type of content should be in the poster?

We are looking for an informative poster that explains your innovation, for example, why it was conceived, the target audience, the benefits to the consumer/society. There is no need to include financial information.

Can we enter the grand final if our innovation is not specifically an engineering product?

Yes, you qualify to enter the Grand Final. So long as your team comprises at least one engineering student/graduate you qualify.

Will we be presenting from our Poster, or can we use PowerPoint to present our innovation.

The Poster will be featured in a display so that everyone at the event can see the Innovations.

You will not be required to present standing next to your poster. You will be on a stage and will be presenting using PowerPoint and we will liaise with short-listed candidates to provide more information on the requirements.

What size should the poster be?

The entrants selected to go forward to the Awards Presentation will have their poster printed A2 size, so please design for this size.

What is the criteria for entering the Grand Final?

Full details of how to enter the Champion of Champions Competition can be found on this page of the website – https://www.eibc.org.uk/champion-of-champions. In brief, entries will be judged by the following criteria:

  • Originality of the idea
  • How the idea addresses a need in society
  • Clearly defined target audiences and the benefits of the innovation to them
  • Viability of the idea and how well this is communicated in your entry (financial information for your innovation is not required)
What should the structure of the entry look like?

Full details of how to enter the competition can be found on this page of the website – https://www.eibc.org.uk/champion-of-champions.

You may use your creativity to present your idea however you wish, but both your video and poster must explain the innovation, who it is aimed at, why it’s needed and the benefits.

This site does not accept PowerPoint presentations – please convert PowerPoint to PDF and upload.

I am having problems uploading my video/poster?

If you experience problems uploading your video/poster, please contact the EIBC Office by email eibcompetition@eibc.org.uk.

What is the maximum size of video we can add to the website?

The maximum upload limit is 200MB.

Did my entry arrive safely?

When you submitted your entry you will have seen a large purple tick which indicates that your entry has been successfully upload. By mid-September we will inform entrants if they have reached the grand final.

What will happen if I am unable to attend the Grand Final Awards Presentation?

If you have been shortlisted to attend the Awards Presentation Day and are unable to attend for whatever reason, you will need to stand down and the next person with the highest score in the judging will be invited to participate in the Awards Presentation.

I/we were finalists in last year’s Champion of Champions Final. Can we enter again with the same innovation?

Sorry, no. The competition doesn’t allow for the same innovation to enter a final twice.

We are entering the Champion of Champions Final; can I submit an animated video that explains our innovation?

Yes, you may. Please ensure that your video addresses the judging criteria – this can be found on the Grand Final page of this website.

What format video and size can we upload for our grand final entry?

The video must be MP4 format, and the maximum size is 200MB. This information appears on-screen when you upload your video.