Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA)

Benefits & funding

• Global Finals prize package of US$100,000 in cash: US$50,000 for first place, US$25,000 for second place and US$15,000 for third place.
• The total value of all prizes, gifts and services for the full field of Global Finals competitors comes to nearly US$500,000.
• Mentorship from established entrepreneurs and feedback from experienced business leaders at each stage of the competition.
• Connections into local and global entrepreneurial ecosystems, including EO members and student founders from other countries.
• A place for the top 20 at the “Start it Up” bootcamp in Cape Town, plus exposure through the “Start it Up” series, which has passed 10 million views on YouTube.
• Exposure to potential investment and business growth through the audiences and judging panels the competition puts in front of competitors.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be enrolled for the current academic year at a university or college as an undergraduate or graduate student at the time of application; part-time enrollment is accepted and full-time enrollment is not required.
• The applicant must be the owner, founder or controlling shareholder of the student business, and each company may be represented by only one owner or co-founder.
• The business must have been in operation for at least six consecutive months before the application.
• The business must have generated US$500 in revenue or received US$1,000 in investment by the time of application.
• The age range for participation is 18 to 30 years.
• Graduate students qualify only if they have been continuously enrolled at a university since their undergraduate degree, without leaving school to work on the business or take other employment; up to one academic year off before starting postgraduate study is allowed.
• Anyone who has already been a final-round competitor at a previous year’s GSEA Global Finals is not eligible.
• No nationality or residency requirement. Competitions run in 39 countries and 90+ cities, and applicants whose city or country has no scheduled competition select the “Other – My Country/City is not listed” option.

Application process

1. 1
   Review the scheduled competitions on the GSEA apply page to find the one covering your city or country; the current listing covers competitions from August 2026 through 2027.
2. 2
   If no competition is listed for your location, choose the “Other – My Country/City is not listed” option.
3. 3
   Create an account on the GSEA application portal. Every user, including past applicants, needs a new account for the 2026–2027 season.
4. 4
   Select your competition inside the portal. The local deadline is displayed at that point, because deadlines are set locally and differ from place to place.
5. 5
   Submit the application and compete in the live local competition hosted by the EO chapter.
6. 6
   Winners progress to the national competition, or in some countries advance directly to the Global Finals.
7. 7
   Compete at the Global Semi-Finals and Finals against the top 20 student entrepreneurs worldwide at the “Start it Up” bootcamp in Cape Town, South Africa.

Program timeline

1. August 2026 through 2027

   local and national competitions of the 2026–2027 season take place worldwide

2. Deadlines are set locally

   the applicable deadline is shown in the application portal once a competition is selected

3. GSEA Global Finals, held with the “Start it Up” bootcamp

   June (typical month)

4. Reference point from the previous cycle

   the Global Finals pitch took place on 21 June 2025 in Osaka, Japan, and the champion was announced on 10 July 2025