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!
Watch the 2026 Big Idea Competition Pre-Application Information Session
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. This is an advanced competition. As such, applicants should have:
- A baseline understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship concepts and disciplines.
- Evidence behind their idea (the problem you are solving, who cares, your innovative solution, and its potential for impact).
- A beginning plan for commercializing your innovative idea.
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 recorded 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.
Applications for 2027 Big Idea Competition are currently unavailable.
Check back for future program announcements. If you’re signed up to receive email updates or following @pittbigdea on social media, we’ll keep you in the loop with upcoming workshops, panels, and opportunities at the Big Idea Center so that you don’t miss out on ways to develop your change-maker skillset!
