Entrepreneurs on Campus
Students hear the words incubator, cell and grant long before they know what they mean
Notices on campus talk about e-cells, incubation, seed funding and competitions. Students do not know which are real, what they give, or what they cost. In this session a visiting founder explains how the different kinds of support work, what to ask before applying, and how to spot an offer that is not what it claims to be.
Explore this page6 sections
Support for student founders exists, and so do offers that sound like it.
Colleges, governments and private bodies all run programmes for early-stage ventures, and the vocabulary overlaps. A student reading a poster cannot tell whether an incubator will give a desk, a mentor, money or only a certificate.
There are also offers that use the same words and are mainly a way to collect a fee. A student who knows the basic questions to ask is much better protected than one who relies on how official a message looks.
This session names the common kinds of support and what they generally do. It does not recommend any programme, does not say that any is easy to get into, and does not claim that GullyFuture works with any of them. Details change, so students are shown where to check the current position.
What the speaker is briefed to cover
29 topics across 7 areas. Seven kinds of support and questions to ask about each.
Entrepreneurship Cells and ClubsUsually student-run, inside a college.4
- What an E-cell typically does: talks, events, competitions, connecting students
- What it cannot do: it is not a source of funding on its own
- How to join one and how to start one if there is none
- How useful it is depends on who runs it each year
The speaker describes the usual pattern. Each college's cell is different.
Incubators and AcceleratorsProgrammes that support early ventures.4
- What an incubator may offer: space, mentors, introductions, sometimes funding
- The difference between an incubator and an accelerator
- Whether it takes equity, charges a fee or both, and how to find out before applying
- Questions to ask: who have they supported, for how long and on what terms
Government Schemes: Things to CheckNamed so students can look them up, not to promise anything.5
Eligibility, amounts and whether applications are open all change. The speaker shows students the official sites and does not quote current figures from memory.
- Startup India, including DPIIT recognition for eligible company, LLP and partnership structures
- The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, which routes funds to startups through selected incubators and has eligibility conditions
- The Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell and the Institution's Innovation Councils set up in some colleges
- Atal Incubation Centres run under the Atal Innovation Mission
- State startup policies, which differ and should be checked on the state's own site
Grants, Prizes and CompetitionsDifferent things with different strings.4
- What a grant, a prize, a loan and an investment each mean
- What a business plan competition typically gives and asks
- Whether prize money or support comes with conditions
- How to read the rules before entering
Do You Need a Registered Company to ApplyOften yes, sometimes no.3
- Why some programmes ask for a registered entity and some accept an idea
- What a student can do before any registration
- When it makes sense to speak to a chartered accountant or company secretary
No legal or tax advice is given. Students are told to check current rules.
Signs an Offer May Not Be GenuineBasic caution.5
The official guidelines of at least one major government scheme state that an incubator under that scheme should not charge fees for selection or disbursement. Students should check any scheme's guidelines for the position on fees.
- A request for a fee to be selected, to receive a grant or to be 'listed'
- A guarantee of funding or of investors
- Pressure to decide quickly or to pay today
- No clear organisation, address or official website you can check separately
- A message that arrived without you applying for anything
Using Support WellWhat the founder would do with the benefit of hindsight.4
- Why customers matter more than the programme's name
- How to use a mentor's time
- Why it is better to apply with something already tried than with only an idea
- What a student should take from a rejection
What the founder prepares
- A plain description of the kinds of support, in their own words
- Which of them they used or did not use, and what that was like, said in general terms
- The questions they would ask before applying to anything
- Where they would look for up-to-date information
What students can ask
- How do I find out if an incubator is genuine?
- Do I need a company before I apply?
- Does a grant have to be paid back?
- Is it worth joining the E-cell?
- What do I do if I get a message offering funding for a fee?
How the session runs
The founder speaks for about twenty minutes and takes students through the kinds of support, using the official sites on screen where possible so students see where to look. The rest of the time goes to questions. The speaker is briefed on what to cover, on not promoting any programme, institution or product, and on saying clearly that the session names programmes only so that students can look them up and check them. A member of the college's staff stays in the room. If your college has its own cell or incubator, you may ask a student or staff member from it to say a few words after the talk.
What your students leave with
- A clear idea of the difference between a cell, an incubator, a grant and a competition
- A set of questions to ask before applying to any of them
- Awareness that public schemes have eligibility rules and may route through other bodies
- The ability to spot signs of an offer that is not genuine
- Knowing where to look for current, official information
- Realistic expectations about what support does and does not guarantee
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Help students learn what support exists, and how to check it, before they apply.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.