The Provost-Funded CFE Jump Start Grants provide financial support to students to help them achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions and develop their entrepreneurial skills and ideas.

 Congratulations to the following recipients of Cycle 4 Jump Start Grant awards:

• FlipSi ($1,500 Prototype Development): Our mission is to sell convenience, safety, and quality to parents with babies and young children. This will be accomplished through a non-leaching, reversible, easy to clean silicone baby bottle. Our customers love their children and we owe it to them to have a product that they can trust.
• SkySpecs, LLC ($1,500 Travel & Legal Services): SkySpecs, LLC is expanding the capabilities and accessibility of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles in industrial applications to increase safety, reduce cost, and provide the ability to gather higher quality data in hard to reach places. SkySpecs aims to accomplish this through intelligent remotely operated aerial vehicles equipped with advanced cameras and sensors and exceptional safety and durability features.
• MyFab5 ($1,500 Prototype Development): At myFab5, we believe that business review platforms do not fully satisfy the needs and demands of the two parties they serve. We want to introduce a new kind of online review platform that meets the needs of both businesses and consumers and provides them the best place to find and interact with each other.
• VaccinateMe ($500 Travel): VaccinateMe links smartphone owners with vaccine clinics and recommendations from the CDC to encourage young people to get vaccinated and stay protected against disease. We know that vaccination remains the single most important prevention method against the spread of infectious disease, and VaccinateMe exists to put the power of personal protection right in the user's hands.

Cycle 5 award winners will be announced at the end of April 2013.

The application deadline for Cycle 6 is Sunday, June 9, 2013.

Grant Types

Travel Grant: For students invited to participate in an entrepreneurship conference through a competitive selection process or to attend the award ceremony for a competition for which they were named semi-finalist or finalist; or for students who need to travel to a remote location to conduct customer discovery or market research.

The award structure is as follows:

a. Up to $250 for the continental United States
b. Up to $500 for all other destinations

Note: A travel grant cannot be applied to a CFE-Sponsored Entrepreneurial Experience trip. A maximum of five team members may apply for funds to travel to the same location at the same time. When purchasing an airline ticket, students should give preference to domestic common carriers, and should book a seat in economy/coach class.

Legal Services Grant: For students seeking legal counsel related to starting a business (e.g. incorporation, filing a patent, freedom to operate, etc.) For this grant, CFE contributions typically match the expenditure of the company or student entrepreneur. Note: International student entrepreneurs with questions regarding their visa status as it relates to launching a startup venture should visit the International Center for assistance. Award amount is variable, based on the nature of the prototype and the needs of the student company, but not too exceed $1,000. One grant per company.

Prototype Development Grant: For students building a model of their entrepreneurial product.
Award amount is variable, based on the nature of the prototype and the needs of the student company, but not to exceed $1,500. One grant per company.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must use the funds to advance an entrepreneurial endeavor or acquire entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, and experience;
• Applicants must be enrolled in a U-M degree-granting program and in good academic standing (GPA of at least 2.0 for undergraduate students, or 5.0 for graduate students);
• In order to receive a Jump Start Grant, an award recipient must be actively enrolled in a U-M degree-granting program at the time of disbursement of funds;
• An individual student can receive no more than $1,000 in Jump Start Grant funding per fiscal year (July 1-June 30);
• A team can receive no more than $2,000 in Jump Start Grant funding per fiscal year (July 1-June 30);
• A team can receive no more than the maximum allowable amount per grant category per fiscal year (July 1-June 30);
• A team is eligible to receive only one CFE-administered prototyping grant per fiscal year (July 1-June 30) - either Clean Energy Venture Challenge or Jump Start Grant;
• A team's additional funding sources may be taken into consideration when reviewing a grant application.

Note: The CFE is interested in supporting impact-driven ideas – that is, disruptive ideas that are scalable and meet a societal need. While CFE encourages innovation and creativity, it will not condone or support companies that it deems contrary to its organizational culture, interests, and goals. This may include entrepreneurial projects that are derogatory or discriminatory in nature, as well as companies whose mission is to manufacture or sell sex as a product; gambling as a product; illegal drugs or drugs other than registered pharmaceuticals or their associated paraphernalia; weapons; alcoholic beverages; and tobacco products. CFE reserves the right to revoke funding and/or support of any entrepreneurial projects, events, and organizations who violate its standards and guidelines.

Application Process

As part of the application process, you must submit a detailed budget proposal, information about funding you have received or requested from other institutions, and a brief letter of support from a faculty reference. You can provide your recommender with a Faculty Reference Form as a guideline.

Application Deadlines

Applications will not be considered for retroactive funding, and therefore must be submitted prior to student expenditure. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and reviewed according to the following schedule:

Jump Start Grant Application Schedule AY12-13

Award Notification & Disbursement

Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by e-mail on or before the award notification dealine. Please do not contact the CFE regarding the status of an application.

Funds will be distributed to individual students. The amount allocated to each student is determined by the student team, as specified on the grant application. Awardees can expect payment to be processed within three weeks from the date of award notification. Funds are disbursed either by check or direct deposit, depending on how the applicant's account is set up in the University of Michigan system.

Failure to complete all requirements of the Jump Start Grant may result in an adjustment to the total amount disbursed.

Final Deliverable: For all grant types, awardees are required to submit a 1-2 page report that explains how the funds were used, what was learned or gained as a result of the funds, and what the next steps are for the student entrepreneur(s) and/or the entrepreneurial endeavor. For Travel, SPARK Boot Camp, and Legal Services grants, the report is due no later than three months from disbursement of the first payment. For Prototype grants, the report is due no later than six months from disbursement of the first payment.

Note: This award may have tax implications. Please contact your tax advisor with any questions.

This award may also affect need-based aid in your financial aid package. These instances are handled individually and you will be contacted directly if it appears you may be affected.