Griffith Innovation Challenge

NEW Business Concept Competition for first year students

If you are a first year Griffith University student with an innovative idea for a business or community service activity, you can take part in our new Business Concept Competition - designed specifically for first year students - for the chance to win great cash prizes! Teams and individuals are welcome to apply.

Registration opens Monday 15 June, and closes Friday 7 August 2009. Visit our registration page for more details.

About the Challenge

The Griffith Innovation Challenge is a university-wide business plan competition, which encourages student teams from different study areas to:

• work on new ideas and foster innovation
• develop entrepreneurial skills
  
• create new opportunities and businesses for the benefit of Queensland and Australia

Put your skills/business ideas to the test for a chance to win a share of up to $50,000 in cash and prizes.

Participants work in teams of two to five to create a business plan for a new 'company' or concept. Students can team up with undergraduate / postgraduate students from any study group within the University, who are in their second to final year of studies.

Entry is free and provides access to an industry mentor and a range of workshops to help students develop essential planning skills that can be used in any industry.

Business plans may be commercially focussed (for profit) or community oriented (not-for-profit) and may form part of assessment, work experience, internships, placements, scholarships - or they may just be a good idea.

The Challenge helps students develop a range of professional skills including:

• teamwork
• leadership
• project management
• commercial assessment and awareness
• networking and building partnerships
• marketing and promotion

Leonardo da Vinci's amazing 'aerial screw' drawings inspired the core vision of the Griffith Innovation Challenge.  His drawings (dated 1483 - 1486) are believed to have led to the development of today's helicopter!

A model of these drawings (known as 'Elicopter') was donated to Griffith in 1988 on behalf of the Italian Government, and now hangs in the Macrossan building at Nathan campus.