Arch Grants

Application Deadline: February 29th 2016

The Arch Grants Global Startup Competition is an international competition that awards $50,000 equity-free, cash grants and pro bono support services to the most innovative and scalable startups that are willing to locate their business in St. Louis, Missouri.

Arch Grants seek to attract entrepreneurs who are already located in St. Louis OR are willing to relocate here. Basing your business in St. Louis is a prerequisite for receiving the grant and all of our current entrepreneurs are investing their time in making the St. Louis startup scene even stronger.

The industry-agnostic Global Startup Competition is held twice per year, with grant disbursement occurring once in the spring and once in the fall. Arch Grants seeks to fund innovative technologies, products, and services wrapped within scalable business models with the potential for national or international impact.

The application deliverables for the Arch Grants Global Startup Competition are intentionally open-ended when compared to other accelerators and competitions.

Eligibility:

Must be 18 years or older to apply.
At least one founder must be able to work full-time on the business.
Must be able to locate the business in St. Louis for a period of at least one year.

Below is a list of these deliverables:

Executive Summary (800 words or less)
Slide Deck (11 slides or less)
Video*
Business Plan*
References*

Benefits

$50,000 non-dilutive, cash grant
Pro-bono services in the following areas: accounting, legal, marketing and design, communication, financial consulting, banking consulting and services, information technology consulting and web hosting, human resources, and payroll services
Access to venture capital and angel investment networks
Professional and high level business mentorship
Personal introductions to strategic business leaders
Social support and community integration services
Inclusion as part of a community of innovative entrepreneurs

Timeline:

The 2016 Spring Competition is NOW OPEN! The early application deadline is December 31st, 2015.

Submission Deadline: 02/29/2016

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Arch Grants Global Startup Competition 2016

Application Deadline: March 31st 2015

Arch Grants provides $50,000 equity-free cash and pro bono support services to innovative startups willing to locate their business in St. Louis.

Do you have a startup that needs early-stage funding, mentorship, or legal advice?
Do you want to be a part of a thriving community of entrepreneurs?
Do you want all of this without giving up any equity in your business?

Benefits

$50,000 non-dilutive, cash grant
Pro-bono services in the following areas: accounting, legal, marketing and design, communication, financial consulting, banking consulting and services, information technology consulting and web hosting, human resources, and payroll services
Access to venture capital and angel investment networks
Professional and high level business mentorship
Personal introductions to strategic business leaders
Social support and community integration services
Inclusion as part of a community of innovative entrepreneurs

Who Should Apply?

Do you have an innovative startup that could call St. Louis home? Great, then you may be a qualified applicant for our competition!

Arch Grants is looking for innovative technologies, products, or services, wrapped within scalable business models with the potential to make national or international impact.

The Arch Grants Global Startup Competition is an industry-agnostic competition; Arch Grants have funded startups in the following areas:
– Information Technology
– Hardware Technology
– Consumer Products
– Manufacturing
– Fashion
– Medical Devices
– Bio-Technology
– Ag-Tech / Clean-Tech
– Social Ventures

How to Apply :

Applications are being accepted through PitchBurner. Please create an account an fill out the application to apply!

There are two rounds of evaluation for the 2015 Arch Grants Global Startup Competition.

First, applications are reviewed by three to five community judges, whom are hand-picked by the Arch Grants staff based on industry experience, expertise in the stage of your company, or other relevant characteristics.

Next, the application and feedback from these judges are reviewed by the Arch Grants Competition Committee. The Competition Committee is a group of dedicated community members who represent a diverse range of experiences from venture capital, angel investment, start-up entrepreneurs, and everything in between.

The Committee will base their decisions on the strength of the opportunity, scalability, the impact on the St. Louis community (economically, culturally, and otherwise) as well as the skills and experience of the management team.

Finally, teams will be invited to pitch their businesses to the Committee at a Finalist Pitch Day (there will be three Finalist Pitch Days per competition). These presentations will take place periodically throughout the year and will also include an opportunity for Q&A. Arch Grants Recipients will be announced soon after the final pitch day.

Important Dates

Spring 2015 Competition:
Applications Open: January 1st, 2015 at 12:01 AM
Early Application Deadline: February 28th, 2015 at 11:59 PM
Final Application Deadline: March 31st, 2015 at 11:59 PM
Finalist Pitch Days: March 3rd, April 2nd, and May 7th, 2015
Recipients Announced: Mid-May
First Day of Incubation: June 18th, 2015

Fall 2015 Competition:
Applications Open: April 1st, 2015 at 12:01 AM
Early Application Deadline: July 10th, 2015 at 11:59 PM
Final Application Deadline: August 30th, 2015 at 11:59 PM
Finalist Pitch Days: June 18th, August 13th, and October 1st, 2015
Recipients Announced: Early-October
First Day of Incubation: November 9th, 2015

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Arch Grant Startup Competition 2015

Arch Grants Global Startup Competition 2016 ($50,000 equity-free, Cash Grants & Pro-Bono Support)

2015 Arch Grants Global Startup Competition ($50,000 equity-free cash and pro bono support services for Startups)