Funding

There are many sources of funding available to Northwestern students working on entrepreneurial projects, from fellowships
to classes to competitions.

Funding Opportunities at The Garage

The Garage oversees multiple programs and initiatives that offer awards or prize money to students working on entrepreneurial ventures.

Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator

The Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator program at The Garage seeks to accelerate student teams by giving them additional resources and coaching over a period of 10 weeks in the summer.

$10,000 award per team + $10,000 non-dilutive prize pool, open to all Northwestern students.

Little Joe Ventures Fellowship in Entrepreneurship

Five sophomores are chosen each winter quarter after a rigorous interview process. Each cohort is announced at the beginning of the spring quarter.

$5,000 award, open to  undergraduate students.

Luminate Program

The Luminate Program creates a space for first-generation and lower-income students at Northwestern University to explore entrepreneurship.

Up to $1,000 award, open to full-time, first-generation and/or low-income students.

NUseeds

NUseeds is Northwestern’s $4M pre-seed/seed investment fund for student founded startups.

$100,000 in exchange for equity, available to founders who have graduated from a degree-seeking Northwestern program in the past 2 years and participated in at least one program at The Garage / VentureCat while they were a Northwestern student.

The Opportunity Fund

The Garage Opportunity Fund is for full-time, undergraduate Northwestern students that identify as lower-income and have been accepted into The Garage’s Tinker or Residency program.

Up to $1,000 to cover business expenses, open to undergraduate students who have been accepted into the Tinker or Residency program and identify as lower-income

The Propel Program

The Propel program provides networking, mentorship, and immersive learning experiences that promote diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship.


Up to $1,000 award, open to all full-time, female-identifying students

Other Funding Opportunities
at Northwestern

These various funding opportunities and programs are offered throughout Northwestern for all students working on an entrepreneurial project.

Farley Center Classes

Some entrepreneurship classes offered through the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation provide students with funding for business expenses.

Provides business expense support, open to all Northwestern students.

The Resnick Family Social Impact Program

The Resnick Family Social Impact Program, offered through ISEN, supports student projects that address significant local and global challenges in sustainability and energy.

Up to $25,000 based on past recipients, open to all Northwestern students

VentureCat

VentureCat is an event and showcase celebrating Northwestern’s most promising student-founded startups. The event culminates with a pitch competition in which over $325,000 in prize money is distributed to student ventures.

$300,000 non-dilutive prize pool, open to all Northwestern students