Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) 2016 Innovation Fund

Launched at CGI University (CGI U) 2016, the CGI U Innovation Fund will source, support, and feature the most effective, high-impact student innovators and entrepreneurs from around the world. Working within the CGI U Commitment to Action model, Innovation Fund grants will provide students with critical seed funding to help launch and scale their early-stage projects.

The CGI U Innovation Fund will source, support, and feature the most effective, high-impact college student entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world by providing critical, early-stage seed funding for their Commitments to Action.

Projects must exhibit the three basic standards of any commitment: new, specific, and measurable. CGI U will also look for projects that demonstrate innovation, scalability, and a strong capacity for partnership. CGI U will not fund: dissertations, internships, staff salaries, personal stipends, or research without a tangible, action-focused component.

Requirements:

• All applicants must be above the age of 18 and actively enrolled in an institution of higher education to be considered for funding.

Application Phases:

• There is a two-phase online application process for prospective Innovation Fund grantees.
• Phase one is the pre-application, which invites interested and eligible students to provide a personal statement, outline their Commitment to Action, and demonstrate a tangible need for early-stage seed funding.
• The pre-application is followed by phase two, an invitation-only full application, which will select students to provide greater detail on their Commitments to Action, project budgets, and specific spending projections.