UMake the Change Student Innovation Competition
UMake the Change Student Innovation Competition
The Office of Economic Development is excited to announce that the UMake the Change Student Innovation Competition has expanded to serve all Flint-based college students. With generous funding from the C.S. Mott Foundation, we will award seven prizes to active students from Flint’s three colleges and universities: Mott Community College, University of Michigan-Flint, and Kettering University, ranging from $150 to $1,000, for the 2024-25 academic year.
The submission deadline is August 31, 2025
About the Competition
UMake the Change
UMake the Change is a student competition aimed at encouraging the innovative mindset among Flint college students from all disciplines. To participate, students will submit a short video pitch and PowerPoint describing their unique idea for an innovative product, service, process, or design.
Benefits to Participants
- Showcase your idea to change the world
- Use the knowledge you have learned in your classes and apply it to real world problems
- Work with fellow students on innovative solutions that will make a difference
- Enhance your resume and reveal your potential
- Compete for an award and test the validity of your innovation
- Work with MicroFlint entrepreneurship experts to move your idea forward
- Discover other entrepreneurs on campus and in the community to network with
Prize Winners
*All prizes are subject to financial aid policies. Individuals winning $500 or less will receive their award in the form of an all-purpose gift card. The winners must be enrolled in the fall 2024, winter 2025, or summer 2025 semester.
- Overall
- Top Prize $1,000
- UM-Flint
- First Prize $250
- Second Prize $150
- Mott Community College
- First Prize $250
- Second Prize $150
- Kettering University
- First Prize $250
- Second Prize $150
All winners will also receive no-cost business mentorship and commercialization resources to move their idea forward! This can include business plan development, regulatory assistance, makerspace access and other business support.
Rules/Submission Guidelines
Competition Rules/Info
- Video must be between one and four minutes long, submitted as a MP4 or MOV file.
- PowerPoint presentations must be between 5 -15 slides in length.
- Teams must be enrolled in the fall 2024, winter 2025, or summer 2025 semester at UM-Flint, MCC or Kettering. Teams must consist of between one and five students.
- Your idea must solve a problem in an innovative way. If a similar solution exists, yours must have a clear distinction and benefit.
- Winners may use the award in any way they wish. All prizes are subject to financial aid requirements. Individuals winning $500 or less will receive their award in the form of a gift card.
Submission Guidelines
The suggested video/PowerPoint structure:
- Introduce yourself: name(s), category (e.g., Product, Service, Design, etc.), your major and what year you are in (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate student) and what college/university do you attend?
- Explain your innovative solution: What is the problem you are trying to solve, and how will your innovation solve it?
- Who the innovation is meant for: Who is the specific, intended target audience?
- If your idea already exists, describe the competition/alternative and explain how your product/service is better. If your idea does not exist then you should state that you have researched your idea and have not found a current producer of the good or service.
- Briefly describe the potential for growth/ scalability and any potential for IP protection (patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secret)
The video submission DOES NOT have to include yourself or your group members visually. Feel free to focus your video on other visual aspects related to your idea. Check out canva.com or other free editing websites for easy video editing. PowerPoint: creating a voice over presentation is a video on how to make a voice-over PowerPoint presentation simple and easy.
The submission deadline is August 31, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact Nic Custer at [email protected].
Upcoming Pitch Clinics
The Office of Economic Development staff will also host virtual pitch clinics monthly at noon.
- March 20
- April 24
- May 13
- June 11
- July 9
- Aug. 5
Judging Criteria
- Your idea is a clear solution to a problem.
- The solution has a specific target audience or audiences.
- Your idea has a unique advantage over existing competitors and alternatives.
- The solution is scalable.
- The solution is likely to be implemented.
Resources
