01
All Semi-finalists
- Written feedback from a Babson-affiliated judging panel
- Certificate naming you a Global Challenge Semi-finalist
Your idea could start at USEK — and go global.
Turn a real problem into an innovative business concept through hands-on workshops, mentorship and a final student competition.
USEK's local challenge within the Babson Collaborative Global Student Challenge.
Applications21.09Open
Your pathProblem → Idea → Global
Edition4th edition
Applications open21 September 2026
Applications close29 November 2026
Final competitionEnd of February 2027
What is UEC?
A student challenge for people who want to build something that matters.
UEC is USEK's annual student entrepreneurship challenge. You work in a team to identify a real problem, shape an innovative business concept, test your assumptions and build a convincing pitch with support from ACIE, mentors and experts.
Every facultyEarly ideas welcomeTeams of 2–6Bachelor's & Master's
04
Four editions of student ideas, teamwork and learning by doing.
Build for impact
What problem do you want to solve?
Your UEC concept should contribute to one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals. Start with a problem that matters to you, your field or your community.
A few starting points, out of all 17 goals:
Health & wellbeing
Education & inclusion
Cities & mobility
Climate & consumption
17UN Sustainable
Development Goals
Development Goals
Start at USEK. Compete globally.
Win locally. Represent USEK globally.
UEC is USEK's local competition within the Babson Collaborative Global Student Challenge. Top-placing teams move from the university stage into Babson's international competition pathway.
Explore the global challenge ↗
01
Build at USEK
Develop, test and pitch your concept through UEC.02
Compete in the UEC Final
Present your idea to a jury at USEK.03
Represent USEK
Top teams progress through the Babson global pathway.16,625students
45universities
34countries
4,700projects
If you go global
Recognition and prizes at the global stage.
Every stage of the Babson Collaborative Global Student Challenge carries its own recognition, from written judge feedback to cash prizes for the top teams.
02
All Finalists
- Presentation-tips webinar with Babson Professor Heidi Neck
- Certificate as finalist, runner-up or winner
- Free Babson EdX course with a verified certificate
03
Winners & runners-up
- $2,000–$3,000 cash prize, split evenly across the team
- Feature in a Babson College article
- Consultation with Babson faculty on your concept
04
Grand prize, 1st place
- Babson Build Scholarship for every team member, fully funded - July 2027.
- $4,000–$5,000 cash prize, split evenly across the team
A low-pressure first step
Curious about UEC?
Join the UEC 2027 Info Session on October 6. Meet the ACIE team, discover the Babson global opportunity and ask anything before applying.
Why join UEC?
Not another classroom project.
A practical journey designed to help you move from curiosity to a clear, tested and pitch-ready concept.
Build an idea
Turn a real problem into a business concept you can develop and test.
Learn by doing
Join practical workshops around the real steps of building a concept.
Build your pitch
Learn to explain your solution clearly, confidently and persuasively.
Meet people
Connect across faculties and with the wider entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Think globally
Compete for the opportunity to represent USEK internationally.
Who can apply?
Bring your perspective. Build the team.
UEC is designed as a university-wide opportunity. Cross-disciplinary teams are encouraged.
✓
USEK students
Open to eligible undergraduate and Master's students enrolled at USEK.
✓
Teams of 2–6
Students apply and participate as a team throughout the challenge.
✓
Same academic level
Team members should be enrolled at the same educational level.
✓
Cross-disciplinary
Combine different faculties and expertise. Diversity is a team strength.
✓
Impact focus
Your concept should address one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals.
✓
Early stage welcome
Start with a problem, an idea or an early concept—not only an existing startup.
✓
Name a team lead
One member is your team's main point of contact with ACIE and Babson.
✓
Exchange students welcome
Studying at USEK as an exchange student? You're eligible to apply.
Eligibility confirmed against Babson's official 2027 Global Student Challenge Overview and Guidelines.
Meet the criteria? Apply to UEC 2027 ↗Your UEC journey
Six steps from a problem to the stage.
01
Discover
Find a problem or opportunity worth solving.
02
Build
Shape your solution and business concept.
03
Validate
Test users, customers, assumptions and feasibility.
04
Develop
Strengthen the model, prototype and value proposition.
05
Pitch
Communicate the idea clearly and confidently.
06
Compete
Present at the UEC Final and aim global.
UEC 2027 timeline
Know what happens next.
Only the dates students need to act on—kept simple and easy to scan.
21 Sep 2026
Applications open
Campaign and student outreach begin.
06 Oct 2026
UEC info session
Meet ACIE, understand the challenge and ask your questions.
29 Nov 2026
Applications close
Final deadline for student teams to apply.
Dec–Feb
UEC program
Workshops, mentoring, concept development and pitch preparation.
End Feb 2027
UEC Final Competition
Final teams pitch at USEK.
Global phase
Babson Collaborative Global Student Challenge
Top USEK team follows the international competition pathway.
Questions, answered
What students usually ask.
No. You can start with a problem, an early idea or a concept you want to explore. UEC helps you develop it.
Yes. UEC is a university-wide opportunity, and cross-disciplinary teams are strongly encouraged.
No. Teams should be composed of students at the same academic level, subject to the final 2027 Babson rules.
The current challenge structure uses teams of 2–6 students.
Yes. The business concept should address one or more United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Connect with ACIE for guidance and watch for any UEC team-matching activities announced during the campaign.
The top USEK team progresses into the Babson Collaborative Global Student Challenge pathway according to the annual competition process.
No. UEC is a feasibility competition, not a venture competition. You can build on an idea you started thinking about before UEC, but it can't be an active, revenue-generating business.
You can still continue with your team into the Global Challenge even if you graduate between USEK's local final and the global stage. Once your team enters the Global Challenge, though, its members are locked in and can't be swapped.
No. Participating in UEC is free for eligible USEK students.
Applications close November 29, 2026
Have a problem worth solving? Start your UEC journey.
You do not need to have everything figured out. You just need a place to begin.
Prototype note: connect the confirmed 2027 registration link before launch.