Identification of a project representative
The role of the project representative consists in providing students with support and ensuring follow-up of the project. The Défi OSEntreprendre team must be able to easily contact project representatives, for instance to inform them about the status of the application, the selection process, etc. The same person may be the representative for more than one project within the same edition of the Défi OSEntreprendre.
For the Preschool, Elementary and Secondary categories, the project representative cannot be a student. The project representative is a member of the teaching staff or any other representative of the educational institution. In cases where the project is supervised by an outsider (e.g. a youth centre worker, someone from a youth employment centre, a member of JA Québec), this person can act as project representative.
For the Vocational Training and Adult Education, College and University categories, the project representative is generally an adult student. Depending on the project’s structure, the representative may also be a teacher, a school staff member or a community stakeholder. This person’s role consists in providing students with support and ensuring follow-up.
Identification of the educational institution
In the event that the project is presented by students from different educational institutions, the project will be registered under the educational institution attended by the majority of participants. If an equal number of students attend each institution, participants will be asked to designate a lead student. The application will be registered under the institution attended by this lead student.
Achievement during this school year
For the jury to be able to evaluate the project, its implementation must be demonstrated. For example, if an event is organized, it can be held at the end of the school year, but the majority of the preliminary stages, linked to ideation, organization of work, planning of tasks, etc. must be completed before the registration deadline. A fictitious project that does not lead to the completion of an activity within the indicated deadlines is not recognized as an entrepreneurial project and is therefore not eligible for the Défi OSEntreprendre.
Long-term entrepreneurial projects
For entrepreneurial projects with a duration that exceeds the current school year and that are registered in the Défi OSEntreprendre for the first time, most of the steps must have been completed during the current school year, and such steps must be documented more specifically than steps completed during previous or coming years.
Funding campaigns
For funding campaign projects to be eligible, they must fully meet the definition of an entrepreneurial project.
The students carrying out an entrepreneurial project cannot be their own target clientele. Therefore, a fundraiser for a school field trip is not an eligible entrepreneurial project. However, organizing the fundraising activity can be presented as one step in an entrepreneurial project and the funding as an outcome for the students who carried it out. It is in the “Nature of the project” section that the participants need to clearly identify the needs of the target clientele, other than the participants themselves, who are to benefit from the product, service or organized event.
Student business creation
A business project by a student or group of students aged 18 years or over may be entered either in the Scholastic section or the Business Creation section, so long as it complies with all eligibility criteria. However, a project cannot be entered simultaneously in both sections for the same edition of the Défi OSEntreprendre.
A project that has already been registered in the Scholastic section of the Défi OSEntreprendre, whether or not it was a prizewinner, may be entered in the Business Creation section in a subsequent edition of the Défi OSEntreprendre, so long as the project respects all eligibility criteria.
However, students who have a business plan for a new business, including projects developed as part of a “Starting a Business” program in vocational training, are strongly advised to register their project in the Business Creation section.
Participation in several projects
A student can participate in more than one entrepreneurial project in the Scholastic section in the same edition of the Défi OSEntreprendre.
