What are the two rounds?
- The first round is a screening round where all the registered teams/individuals submit their solutions to a problem with the required details in a pitch deck (presentation). A screening committee will review the applications and shortlist the top 10 ideas. The top 8 teams will be invited to pitch in the final round.
- The final round will have the top 8 teams pitching their solutions in person in front of a panel of judges. In case some of the top 8 teams are unable to appear in person for the final round, the next placed teams will be offered the opportunity.
What are the eligibility criteria?
- Idea Blast 2024 is free and open to all (except registered startups).
- Participants can be individuals or teams.
What are the rules for teams?
- Each team can have 1-4 members
- Team members need not belong to the same institute/organization
- No participant can be a part of more than one team
- No participant is allowed to switch teams mid-contest
- Each team can submit up to 3 ideas but each of those ideas should be distinct from one another
Are there any general guidelines?
- The name of your team can be anything creative (but should not represent your organization's name)
- We do NOT guarantee any form of funding or investment from jury members
- The deadline for the Elimination Round is 9 PM, 14 August 2024
- Finalists will have to make their own travel arrangements to the venue
- Certificates will be given to all finalists who make their pitch at the finals
- If two teams submit nearly the same idea, the idea submitted first on the basis of date and time stamp shall be given priority
- The jury's decision will be final and no disagreements will be entertained
- Any form of blatant plagiarism, intended or otherwise, will lead to disqualification
- Teams must be available in their respective time slots for the finals
What are the rules for the first round?
- The idea should be submitted before the deadline.
- Each team/individual’s pitch deck should be visible to the organizers and judges (no authentication barriers)
- If a pitch deck (presentation) is not accessible, that team/individual will not be considered for the competition
- The submission format for your pitch deck should contain:
○ Title:
○ Brief Overview of Idea (approx 100 words):
○ Problem (what are you trying to solve and why it is important)
○ Solution/Idea: Explain your solution in detail
○ Implementation duration and cost: how long it will take to complete your solution and how much will it cost to make it market-ready
○ Impact of your solution (if not already explained earlier)
What is the format for the final round?
- Shortlisted teams will give their final presentation in-person at the Andhra University campus on 21 August 2024 during the World Entrepreneurship Day celebrations.
- Each team will get 3 minutes to pitch their idea followed by 2 minutes for questions by the judges.
- More details will be provided to the shortlisted teams/individuals.
What criteria will be used for evaluation?
- Ideas shall be evaluated on the basis of a combination of factors such as:
(a) the power of ideas in terms of its ability to solve a real problem
(b) its impact in terms of number of people who it touches or potentially touch
(c) how the idea stands with respect to alternate solutions available
(d) the ability of the participant to build a startup with the proposed idea