Validation Grants

Rollins Center validation grants help with targeted, efficient funding for startup teams working on early-stage milestones (e.g., pain-solution validation, prototyping, product-market fit testing, market research, etc.). These grants encourage lean validation testing and experimentation. There are two types, or stages, of validation grants: (1) Pre-prototype validation grants and (2) Prototype validation grants, which are intended to build off pre-prototype validation activities and evidence. Each grant is awarded in amounts between $100–$500.

  • Grant money is not seed money.
  • Grant money is not used to pay salaries, or buy perks, or pay for rent, mortgage, etc.
  • Grant money is only to be used to design, develop, and implement relevant business model tests/validation and for the interpretation of test data.
  • Grants are only available to teams that have at least one full-time BYU student on the team who has key executive or decision making authority for the business (we won’t provide grants to teams that put token BYU students on the team).

To apply, complete the application here.

If you have additional questions, please contact Rollins Center mentoring coordinator Taylor Halverson.

(NOTE: Applicants must be current BYU students)

  1. Basic details
    1. First and last name
    2. Email address
    3. Phone
    4. BYU Net ID 
    5. Major
    6. Student status
    7. Anticipated graduation
  2. Describe the business and team and validation plans
    1. Company name or placeholder name (if you don’t have a name yet)
    2. What stage is your business at (idea, validation, existing)?
    3. Has your venture applied for a Rollins Center grant in the past? (If yes, when and what was the outcome of the application?)
    4. Have you had an advisement session with a Rollins Center student advisor? If yes, who did you meet with? What was the outcome of that session?
    5. Provide the names and information of all other team members (if any): Name, BYU Net ID, email, phone, major, student status (FT/PT/graduated)
    6. What prior participation have you and/or team members (if any) had with BYU’s entrepreneurship offerings? (e.g., ENT courses at BYU Marriott: name the courses; Rollins Center competitions: name the competitions, dates, and outcomes for your team, including any prizes won.
    7. Have you taken ENT 113 (Entrepreneurship Bootcamp)?
    8. How much money are you requesting? (max is $500)
    9. How do you plan on using the grant funding for business validation?
  3. If you receive a grant
    1. Are you willing to provide at least a twice-monthly report to the Rollins Center on the use of funds (once the grant is complete, reports are no longer required)?
    2. Are you willing to work each week with a Rollins Center mentor?
    3. If you already working with a mentor(s), who are you working with?

OTHER POTENTIAL GRANTS OR FUNDING SOURCES