Dell Social Innovation Challenge

$30,000 in Prizes. Submit Your Idea Today!

Any undergrad or graduate student, male or female, in any field of study, from any country, can enter this challenge. This isn’t your traditional business plan competition – students can enter a project at any stage, whether they’ve just thought of an idea or are already running an organization. Nonprofit, for-profit or blended ideas are eligible.

Dell has issued the second Dell Education Challenge to university students, the most recent participants in today’s K-12 education systems worldwide. Dell seeks their inspiration , imagination and innovation to re-engineer today’s learning environments, both in and outside of the classroom. The competition seeks to continue to inspire innovative ideas from around the world that will help solve today’s biggest issues in education, including those identified in a pollcommissioned by Dell about new education models. The poll showed that respondents view a personalized approach to learning as most effective.
More than 400 projects were submitted in the last Dell Education Challenge and the winning teams are bringing their ideas to fruition. Grand prize winner, Forward Tutoring, is helping to create more support for individual learning needs and support for students by students via their online platform where credits are earned for volunteering in the community. Those students then redeem their credits for tutoring from other qualified students. Tutors in turn can earn scholarships and internships from supporting organizations.

Continuing its commitment to inspiring innovation, the Dell Education Challenge is a spotlight challenge of the Dell Social Innovation Challenge, challenging university students to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems with transformative ideas. This spotlight challenge will identify and invest $30,000 in promising projects. Dell will provide students who submit ideas with access to a global community that provides valuable feedback and encouragement on their projects to help make their ideas a reality.

Twenty semi-finalists will be selected in September and will receive direct mentorship from a Dell Social Innovation Challenge certified mentor, giving those project teams the chance to develop their ideas with the help, experience and expertise of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. One member from each of the top three teams will receive an all-expense paid trip to pitch their team’s idea at a special awards event in December 2013 where the winning team will be announced. All finalists will be automatically entered as semi-finalists for the 2014 Dell Social Innovation Challenge, Dell’s competition focused on social entrepreneurship.

Accepting ideas to innovate and revitalize primary/K12 education worldwide

• $30,000 in seed funding + a paid trip for finalists to pitch their idea
• Semi-finalists get at least 4 hours of professional mentoring
• All entries automatically entered in the 2014 Dell Social Innovation Challenge (DSIC)
• Finalists are fast-tracked as semi-finalists in the 2014 DSIC
• Real opportunity to make a difference and get global recognition for innovating education!

Dell Education Challenge Dates

June 24, 2013: Dell Education Challenge open for entries

September 23, 2013: Deadline to enter the Dell Education Challenge

October 4, 2013:  20 Semi-Finalists announced

October 28, 2013: Semi-Finalist materials due

November 8, 2013: Finalists announced

Early December, 2013: Finalist Pitches and winners announced

The winners and the 10 promising projects will share a total of $30,000 in cash prizes

FREE to enter the competition