An entrepreneurial project in CEGEP and university

The Scholastic section of the OSEntreprendre Challenge supports the development of a spirit of entrepreneurship by shining the spotlight on students who carry out entrepreneurial initiatives.

Whether they make an upcycled product in elementary school or launch a new app in university, young people claim a piece of the action and a voice to make decisions, in partnership with school staff. Entrepreneurial experimentation, the second lever of Education Through Entrepreneurial Spirit in Schools, has positive impacts on student development by contributing to entrepreneurial culture, student perseverance and educational success, personal satisfaction and growth, and career guidance.

• The aim of an entrepreneurial project is to create a product, service or event that satisfies a want or need in the community, find a solution to a problem or improve a situation for a target audience that goes beyond the project participants themselves (e.g. a school, a community, a family, a specific group).  
• The entrepreneurial project places students at the heart of the action, allowing them to participate actively in the decisions and tasks required to carry out all steps involved.
• Entrepreneurial projects allow students to develop their spirit of entrepreneurship as well as different entrepreneurial values and qualities such as self-confidence, perseverance, initiative, creativity, a sense of responsibility, autonomy and team spirit.

Eligibility criteria

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 OSEntreprendre Challenge. Students who develop entrepreneurial projects in a school setting are invited to register their projects under the OSEntreprendre Challenge’s Scholastic section.

However, students who have a business plan for a new business, including projects developed as part of a “Starting a Business” program, are strongly advised to register their project in the Business Creation section.

• An audio storybook
• A collection of short stories
• Board games
• A Web application

• A student café
• Bicycle repairs
• Affordable legal aid  
• Purchase and sale of used books
• A second-hand clothing store

• An awareness campaign
• A comedy show
• A conference
• An evening dinner fundraiser
• A sports competition