Participation
The UCI Clean Tech Academy is open to UCI student, faculty, staff, researchers, and recent alumni (5 years) with an innovative product or service that solves a pressing energy or environmental problem.
Applicants wishing to participate in the UCI Clean Tech Academy must submit a complete application (application form and team resumes) to envinst@uci.edu by 5:00pm November 18, 2011.
Applications must be submitted by the individual who is the principal applicant; the application may include up to three additional team members. Only the principal applicant is required to be currently affiliated with UCI.
All UCI student participants must be in good academic standing.
All applications submitted by the competition deadline will be reviewed, and up to six applicants will be selected as semi-finalists to participate in the mentorship program and subsequent business plan competition.
Selection of the semi-finalists will be based solely on evaluation of the application materials submitted in conformance with the stated Rules.
Semi-finalists will be notified by email by November 28, 2011.
Project Criteria
To qualify for the UCI Clean Tech Academy, a proposed venture must plan to be financially sustainable or profitable.
The proposed venture should have a quantifiable social and/or environmental bottom line incorporated into its mission and practices.
The proposed venture should be scalable, taking into account the potential for growth of the business and how well both the financial and social goals can be scaled.
The proposed venture should not have been incorporated more than one year prior to the application deadline.
Intellectual Property and Confidentiality
All entries must be the original work of the entrants. Applicants must be prepared to provide documentation to validate any intellectual property claims that are made on the application.
Entries should be made with full understanding of the UCI policies on Intellectual Property. UCI policies on intellectual property can be found at the Office of Technology Alliances site (www.ota.uci.edu).
All submissions remain confidential within the judging panel, except for prize winners, which will be publicly announced. However, entering teams must recognize that any information submitted through entries could be at possible risk of disclosure.
Judging
Judging criteria may be reviewed on this site.
All prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the judges.
Judges’ decisions will be final and not subject to appeal.
Prizes
Prizes may be awarded to one or more of the participating ventures.
Judges reserve the right not to award a prize if no prize-worthy entries are available.
A portion of the prize money will constitute a UCI research grant through the Environment Institute.
In order for a winner from this competition to be eligible to participate in the Business Plan Competition at The Paul Merage School of Business in February 2012, the selected winner must meet all entrance requirements of The Merage School competition.