Frequently Asked Questions

EIBF provides cash prize funds to individual universities that run business ideas competitions and modules that are open to engineering and science 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. 

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

The prize fund money must be awarded to the winning teams or individual winners (individual winners must meet the eligibility criteria or, if a team, then with at least one eligible participant in the team). Typically, universities award a first, second and third prize – but it is up to each individual university to decide. Prize money is paid on successful completion of a post-event report being submitted to EIBF. Prize money is paid directly to the university and for the university to distribute to winners.

No – the full amount must be awarded as prizes for the winners.

No. Universities can run competition as normal. The only difference is that universities will commit to promoting the competition to the target group (for example, engineering students/graduates/postgraduates and alumni) so they become aware of the opportunity to participate.

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

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

Yes. It is up to individual universities how they distribute the 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 solely for awarding prizes to winners. 

Competitions should be completed within 12 months of an application being approved. If there is a time issue please contact the EIBF office.

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

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

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.

Yes.

No. This is something that each university organises.

The first prize winning team wins an opportunity to be mentored by a Sainsbury Management Fellow. One mentor will be assigned to the team, not one mentor per individual team member.

Either the university enterprise educator or the winner should contact EIBF to confirm that they would like a mentor. Please provide a short explanation of what type of help / mentor they need (for example, if there is a particular industry sector, is there a particular issue they want to look at such as IP / marketing and so on).

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. 

It will be a pleasure to attend if able to do so. EIBF cannot guarantee attendance as this will depend on the availability of a Sainsbury Management Fellow.

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, the university will be advised that they can submit an invoice for payment to: 

Cathy Breeze 
Director of Communications 
Sainsbury Management Fellows 
EIBF 
16 Western Road 
Lymington 
Hampshire, SO41 9HL 

[email protected] 

Please note that EIBF is a registered charity – number 1147203 and is a company limited by guarantee: 07807250. EIBF is not a VAT registered organisation. 

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

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.

No. EIBF make prize fund awards on a rolling basis.

The next EIBF Champion of Champions Competition will be held in October / November 2025. Entry will open around July 2025.

All students / graduates (studying engineering and science subjects) are eligible to enter the Champion of Champions Final in 2025, so long as they have taken part in a university enterprise competition during 2024/2025. They do not need to have won an EIBF funded university competition to enter the competition. 

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. 

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 and science) is still engaged with the university and has developed a new concept, they are eligible to enter the Champion of Champions Final. 

Yes.

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

Judges 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.

Yes – as long as the individual meets eligibility criteria, or the team has at least one eligible student / graduate / postgraduate.

Shortlisted entrants’ posters will be featured in a display so that everyone at the Champion of Champions Final event can see the innovations. Those teams featuring in the Grand Final will be required to produce a presentation to explain their ideas further. More information will be supplied when shortlists are announced.

Shortlisted entrants will have their poster printed A2 size, so please design for this size. 

Full details of how to enter the Champion of Champions Competition can be found on the dedicated web page (Link to ‘Champion of Champions’ page). 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 submitted entries (financial information for your innovation is not required) 

Full details of how to enter the competition can be found on this page of the dedicated web page

Entrants should use their creativity to present ideas however they wish, but both the 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. 

People experience problems uploading videos and posters should contact the EIBF office by emailing [email protected].

The video should be in MP4 format, with a maximum file size of 200mb.

Yes.

When entrants make their submissions, they will be notified on screen that their entry has been successfully uploaded. All entrants will be informed by mid-September as to whether they have been successful or not.

If shortlisted entrants are unable to attend the Grand Final, they will need to stand down and the next person with the highest score in the judging will be invited to participate in the final.

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