Cobbertunity Grant Process

History

In 2024, the Cobbertunity Fund was established to support student entrepreneurs at Concordia College. The fund was created with a $75,000 investment from the Student Government Association’s SPIF Fund, and the investment is managed through Concordia’s Scheel Investment Fund. If the investment grows, SGA receives 20% of the determined grant funds to redeposit back into the SPIF Fund, and the remaining grant funds are awarded to Cobber student entrepreneurs on an annual basis. The total amount of grant funding will vary each year and is dependent on the investment earning money. In addition, additional funding sources exist and continue to be identified to supplement the Cobbertunity Fund and our student entrepreneurs through our generous donors.*

Purpose

The Cobbertunity Fund is intended to support students who need resources to push their entrepreneurial ideas forward. Up to $3,000 will be awarded to dedicated students who present:

• A strong commitment to launching their startup or growing their early stage company.
• A thoughtful financial plan that outlines an allocation of funds.
• A proven commitment to the project thus far (personal financial stake or commendable time commitment).
• A clear set of milestones the funding will allow them to achieve with a way to measure it.
• A strong display of entrepreneurial leadership characteristics.

The Cobbertunity grants are open to any degree-seeking student at Concordia no matter their discipline. Students can receive funding only once, and funding must be used in a one-year timeframe. Depending on the amount of the grant, the receipt of the grant could result in a taxable event for the student.

Application Process

To apply, complete the following two items and submit them using this form.

1. Write a two-page proposal.

Proposals should address the following questions: What is the name of your venture? Who are you (and, if applicable, your teammates)? What skills/expertise/connections do you have to make your venture successful? Give us your high-level pitch (in a way that we will understand — as if you are telling a friend). What is unique about your venture? What have you done so far? What stage are you in? What areas do you need most help with? How much funding are you requesting? What will you spend the funds on? When will you spend the funds? How do you embody the entrepreneurial spirit? Anything else you would like to share with us?

2. Create a one-page visual.

Create a one-page visual piece for your application that shares the idea for the project and the key significant data/structures of the problem being addressed as well as some of the results you have had with your project.

After the initial application closes, finalists will be selected to move on to a second phase where they will prepare a pitch deck to present to the Grant Awarding Committee. The pitch deck should include the idea for the project, the problem and opportunity, the value proposition, existing competitors, the current status of the project and any existing financials (revenue and expenditures to date), the proposed use of the funds including the budget requested and timeframe for expenditures.

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Timeline

Grant Stipulations

Students who receive grants are required to:

• Complete the Cobbers in Business PEAK
• Share as a Student Spotlight for Concordia’s Entrepreneurship Club
• Present at Concordia’s Celebration of Student Scholarship
• Provide a report on the status of the project to the Grant Awarding Committee in September and January of the year of implementation

Grant Awarding Committee

The Grant Awarding Committee for selecting grant recipients of the Cobbertunity Fund will consist of the president and vice president of Concordia’s Entrepreneurship Club, the faculty advisor of Concordia’s Entrepreneurship Club, a representative from SGA, the dean from the Offutt School of Business, a faculty member from outside of the Offutt School of Business, and an alumni representative from the Offutt School of Business.

Generous Donors*

The Cobbertunity Fund is supported with funds from the Offutt School of Business Entrepreneur Fund as the result of a generous donation from Mike and Christine Doyle. If you are a donor interested in supporting the Cobbertunity Fund, please use the contact information below to engage in the conversation. The more donations made to the fund, the more student entrepreneurs we are able to fund to grow entrepreneurial ideas across campus and in the community.