Skip to Content
Purdue logo
Purdue logo

The 36th Annual Burton D. Morgan Business Concept Competition

This year, the Burton D. Morgan Competition is back with a twist — it's all about creating new business concepts.

  • Are you passionate about a problem space but haven’t had the chance to dive deep into it and explore whether you can design a potential business idea?
  • Do you have a business idea you've been sitting on, unsure how to take the first step?
  • What about a problem you've personally experienced or witnessed that made you think, "Someone should solve this!"
  • Have you spotted a gap in the market or an unmet customer need, or do you see an opportunity for a "we can do better than that" solution?

If any of these resonate, this competition is your chance to turn that inspiration into action! Submit your preliminary draft venture concept by February 24, 2025, to enter the competition and embark on this exciting journey of business creation.

What to Expect

The Burton D. Morgan Business Concept Competition is an active learning journey designed to help you take the first step toward developing a business concept. It will guide you through answering the critical question: "Is there something here?" You'll gain the confidence to decide whether to move forward. You'll consider designing a prototype and testing for traction.

Participants will start by submitting basic information about the problem or opportunity they've identified. Over the course of a couple of months, you will:

  • Frame and validate customer problems
  • Assess market potential
  • Identify opportunities for differentiation
  • Envision solutions that resonate with customers

The ultimate goal? To confidently answer the question: "Do people want this?"

Information for Students

How You'll Succeed

Success in this competition depends on your proactive engagement with the market. You'll conduct customer and stakeholder discovery interviews and seek insights from experts. To support your journey, we'll provide workshops, tools, and feedback to help you refine and develop your business concept. Workshops will be held virtually on February 18, February 25, March 4, March 11, March 25, and April 8. All entered participants will have access to a Brightspace competition page to submit assignments, access workshops, and receive feedback.

Awards

The competition culminates in a final event on April 23, 2025, where approximately 10 teams with the most promising concepts will compete for:

  • 1st Prize: $10,000
  • 2nd Prize: $7,000
  • 3rd Prize: $5,000

The top three winners will be chosen by a panel of judges experienced in early stage venture building.

Additionally, 7-8 other teams with standout concepts will each receive a $3,000 "You need to build this!" prize meant to encourage (but not require) you to develop a prototype for your business concept.

This competition is designed for new, early-stage concepts, ideal for those ready to explore customer needs and market opportunities.

Requirements to Participate

To qualify for the final event, you'll need to:

  • Complete two virtual office hour meetings with our team
  • Submit four short assignments at key milestones to track your progress and receive feedback (through Brightspace)
  • Commit to attending the final event on April 23, 2025, in person

Eligibility

The competition is open to all Purdue students. However, your concept must meet these criteria:

  • It has not received more than $10,000 in funding from any source
  • It has not generated more than $5,000 in market revenue
  • It is not based on Purdue-owned Intellectual Property (IP)

Ready to Get Started?

Join our upcoming information session to learn more. Submit your preliminary draft venture concept by February 24 to embark on this exciting journey of business creation!

Information Session