Sponsored by North Forge, Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship, Militant Media & More.
The TEM Entrepreneurship Awards Gala was created to honour and support University of Manitoba students who are actively building ventures and turning ideas into action.
Starting a business while in university takes commitment, creativity, grit, and an appetite for innovation. Often, what holds student founders back is not motivation or effort, but access to early resources. Sometimes, a modest amount of funding is the difference between a student taking risks to build something real or letting an idea disappear.
The TEM entrepreneurship awards exist to help student entrepreneurs take that next step. Whether it is validating an idea, purchasing a key tool, buying their first prototype, or testing a calculated risk, the goal is to support progress and momentum.
Awards will be presented live during our final event of the year, celebrating student entrepreneurship and the impact that TEM members are having in our innovation ecosystem.
The awards are open to active University of Manitoba students who are currently working on a venture or small business. Award winners are free to use the funds however they wish to support their business.
How the Awards Work
5 shortlisted student founders will be invited to present their ventures live to the business community, members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and fellow students. 3 winners will be preselected by the awards committee and announced during the Gala.
Following the presentations, three winners will be announced and awarded live on stage.
- $1000 TEM Entrepreneurship Award – Presented by North Forge
- $500 TEM Entrepreneurship Award – Presented by TEM (donated by Payworks)
- $500 TEM Entrepreneurship Award – Presented by TEM
This is both a funding opportunity and a chance to share your story, receive feedback, and build meaningful connections.
APPLY NOW! Eligibility and Application
Applicants must be active University of Manitoba students currently working on a venture.
Applications require a 300-500-word written statement describing how you meet the evaluation criteria.
*To be eligible to present and receive an award, applicants must have purchased their student ticket for the event prior to the application deadline.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Venture traction
Evidence of progress, validation, or growth - Use of funds
Clear need and thoughtful plan for how the funds will be used - Venture potential
Long-term opportunity and impact - The founder’s ability to execute
Clarity, capability, and commitment
Application:
Deadline: March 22nd, 2026, 11:59 PM CST
If the form fails to load, visit it directly here https://tally.so/r/J92Jkr.
Buy Tickets:
Sponsors:
Gold Sponsor – North Forge
Media Sponsor – Militant Media
Academic Year Sponsor – Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship
Donations
We’d like to thank Payworks for a generous $500 donation towards supporting an entrepreneurship award.