The Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship on March 25 will host the 2021 Mel Woodward Cup, which will hand out $40,000 in prize money to companies founded by Memorial University students.

The virtual event will be a pitching competition for student entrepreneurs who are serious about developing their ventures into bona fide businesses. The winner will receive $25,000 and the runner-up $15,000.

“Applicants must be committed to their idea and their involvement in it,” said the MCE website. “This competition is for those who are entirely serious about launching their own businesses.”

The Woodward Cup began four years ago to provide seed funding for student-led businesses, and has become a major event in the St. John’s startup calendar. The prize money comes from funds provided by the family of the late Mel Woodward, a Memorial alumnus and pillar of the Newfoundland and Labrador construction industry.

You can find more details and register here.

Past winners of the competition include CoLab Software, which was accepted into the Y Combinator accelerator in 2019 and raised $2.7 million, and BreatheSuite, which has since closed funding rounds of $550,000 and $1.2 million.