Next Up Founders Prize
Official Rules and Terms and Conditions
No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase, if applicable, will not increase your chances of winning a prize. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
1. Name
The name of this contest is the NextUp Founders Prize Contest (“Contest”).
2. Sponsor
The Contest sponsor is Northeastern University (“Sponsor”).
3 Entry and Contest Periods
The Entry Period is from September 1, 2026 at 12:00AM EDT to September 30, 2026 at 11:59PM EDT. The full Contest Period will run from September 1, 2026 at 12:00AM EDT until November 20, 2026 at 11:59PM EDT, or when the winners are announced, whichever is earlier.
4. Eligibility
This Contest is open to any individual worldwide, who, as of the date of entry, is 13 years of age or older, and currently enrolled in high school, between grades nine (9) through twelve (12), or local country equivalent. Students who are enrolled in public, private, or charter schools, as well as students who are home-schooled, are eligible to enter. Eligibility is determined at the sole discretion of Sponsor, and Sponsor reserves the right to request additional information to determine eligibility. Every Entrant must complete an electronic consent form with their Eligibility Form, consenting to these Official Rules. If an Entrant is under 18 years of age in the United States, and under the age of majority in their respective country, the consent form will instead be sent to the Entrant’s parent or guardian, who must consent on the Entrant’s behalf both to these Official Rules and to the Entrant’s participation in the Contest. This contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry that (a) does not meet the entry requirements described in this section, (b) contains content that is obscene, defamatory, infringing, or otherwise unlawful or objectionable, as determined by the Sponsor, the Reading Committee, or the judges in their sole discretion, or (c) otherwise fails to comply with these Official Rules.
5. Rules Summary (Plain-Language, for Applicants)
You (“Entrant”) may enter the Contest by (a) completing the Eligibility Form to confirm initial eligibility, (b) providing written consent to participate and adhere to the Official Rules — signed by Entrant if 18 (or local age of majority) or older, or by Entrant’s parent or guardian if Entrant is under 18 (or local age of majority)—, (c) completing the entry form (“Application”) with a description of the problem you are attempting to solve, your proposed solution, and your artificial intelligence (“AI”) angle, and responses to the additional prompts, totaling approximately 900 words across all written questions (the “Written Component”), and (d) submitting a video pitch between two (2) to three (3) minutes long (the “Video Component”), which you may submit in your Application or by uploading it to YouTube or Vimeo and providing a link. Entrants using a third-party platform to submit the Video Component must do so in compliance with platform rules and regulations. Potential topics for Applications include, by way of example only, Health, Sustainability, Finance, Consumer Goods, Technology, Education, Nonprofit/Social Impact; Entrants may select any topic or industry sector they wish so long as the entry requirements are met. Failure to complete any of the required components set forth in subsections (a) through (d) above shall result in disqualification from the Contest. You may enter individually or as a team of up to four (4) students from the same or different schools. No entrant may be on multiple teams. EACH ENTRANT ON A TEAM MUST INDIVIDUALLY COMPLETE THE ENRTY FORM AND CONSENT FORM.
a. Quantity, Prizes, and Approximate Retail Value (ARV).. The minimum number of Prizes to be awarded is as follows: One (1) 1st place prize(s) of $10,000 USD ; one (1) 2nd place prize(s) of $5,000 USD ; and one (1) 3rd prize(s) of $2,500 USD. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to award a greater number of Prizes within any Prize level. Sponsor may also, in its sole discretion, award one (1) People’s Choice Award of $1,000 USD to one of the Finalists, to be determined at the conclusion of the Contest by vote of all audience members in attendance at the Finals, based on which entry the voters find most innovative. The winner(s) of the Contest (the “Winners”) will receive the applicable cash prize based on their placement in the judging(“Prize”). Only the Prizes and the value listed in these Official Rules will be awarded. The right to receive the Prizes is non-assignable and non-transferrable, except to the extent required by law if the winner is under 18 years of age. If a winning Application was submitted by more than one Entrant, the Prize will be divided equally among all Entrants named in the winning Application. Any Prize or Prize notification that is returned as undeliverable will disqualify the Winner, and an alternate Winner may be selected at the sole discretion of Sponsor, pursuant to the selection processes outlined in these Official Rules. Winners who are under 18 at the time the Prize is awarded must have a parent or guardian receive the Prize on their behalf.
6. Process
All eligible Applications will be evaluated and scored by a reading committee consisting of employees of Sponsor and/or entrepreneurs selected by Sponsor (the “Reading Committee”) selected in Sponsor’s sole discretion. The ten (10) highest-scoring Applications (the “Finalists”), as determined by the Reading Committee according to the evaluation criteria below, will advance to the Final Round. The Reading Committee may revise the number of Finalists in its sole discretion, depending on the number and quality of the Applications. Winners will be selected from among the Finalists by an international panel of entrepreneur judges (the “Judges”) appointed by Sponsor. No individual shall be appointed to, or remain on, the Reading Committee or panel of Judges if it is determined by Sponsor that such individual’s participation would result in a conflict of interest, and no individual may serve both on the Reading Committee and as a Judge.
a. Evaluation and Judging Criteria. Applications will be scored in each round of the Contest on a scale of 1–10 for each of the following criteria, resulting in a cumulative score of 40:
i. Innovation and originality – is the idea distinct and unique?
ii. Use of Artificial Intelligence – how is AI featured in the product, the build process, or the go-to-market?
iii. Market Potential and Feasibility – how will this product or process impact a real problem experienced by a real customer?
iv. Communication and Pitch Quality – how well did the Entrant clearly and confidently pitch their product or process?
b. Final Round. The Finalists will advance to the Final Round and may pitch in-person by traveling to Northeastern University’s Boston, Massachusetts campus at their own expense, or choose to submit a video submission instead of pitching in-person. The Final Round will take place between November 17, 2026 and November 20, 2026. The Judges for the final round will assess each pitch based on the above criteria. No advantage shall be given to in-person pitches.
i. Students Attending a Non-United States High School: In the event that a student attending a high school outside of the United States advances to the Final Round, said student must participate in the Final Round via video submission, unless said student has independent means of obtaining legal entry into the United States in a status that permits participating in this contest.
7. Notification of Winners
Winners will be determined by the Judges and notified by Sponsor via email and/or telephone no later than December 31, 2026. In order to accept a Prize, each Winner must, within five (5) business days of notification, complete and return an executed declaration and release form (“Declaration and Release”), declaring that the Winner is eligible to win the Prize in accordance with these Official Rules and releasing Sponsor (including all of its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, successors, and assignees), Judges, and members of the Reading Committee from any and all liability in connection with this Contest, and the use, misuse, or possession of any Prize and any travel related thereto. Winners under the age of 18 as of November 17, 2026 must provide parental consent and affirmation that their parent will accept the Prize on their behalf. Payment of Prize will be made in accordance with local laws. If an initially-declared Winner fails to respond to Sponsor’s email and return the properly executed Declaration and Release within the specified time, or otherwise is in non-compliance with these Official Rules, then the Sponsor may, at the Sponsor’s sole discretion, disqualify that Winner and the prizes will be awarded based on the scores of the remaining eligible Finalists. Sponsor will have no obligation to award, or deliver, a Prize to any Entrant who has declined or failed to claim such Prize in a timely manner in accordance with these Official Rules. Sponsor shall have no liability for Winner’s failure to receive notices due to spam, junk email, or other security settings, or for Winners’ provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information.
8. Intellectual Property
By submitting an entry, Entrant thereby grants Sponsor and Northeastern University a non-exclusive, fully paid-up, perpetual license limited to non-commercial, educational, or promotional purposes to copy, distribute, create derivative works of, publicly perform and display Entrant’s Application, including the Written Component, the Video Component, and any Finalist pitches. Entrant otherwise retains intellectual property rights in their ideas and pitches.
9. Privacy
Personal information will be handled in accordance with Northeastern University’s General Privacy Policy.
10. Restricted Party Screening
By entering, each entrant represents and warrants that neither the entrant nor any subsidiary, affiliate, or other related party (“Related Parties”) is (a) listed on any denied party, restricted party, debarred party, or specially designated nationals list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (OFAC), the U.S. Department of Commerce (BIS), the U.S. Department of State, or any other U.S. federal agency, as such designations may change; (b) organized, headquartered, or ordinarily resident in any country or region subject to comprehensive U.S. economic sanctions or embargo (currently including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions of Ukraine), as such designations may change; or (c) otherwise prohibited from receiving items or funds of value from Sponsor under applicable export control or sanctions laws. Sponsor reserves the right to screen any entrant, winner, or Related Party against applicable government lists before awarding any prize, and to withhold, delay, revoke, or reallocate any prize and/or disqualify any entry if Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that this section has not been satisfied or that awarding the prize would violate applicable law. No substitute prize or compensation will be provided if a prize is withheld, delayed, revoked, or reallocated under this section.
11. Tax Liability
The receipt of the Prize may be considered taxable income to the winner by the Internal Revenue Service and your state’s Department of Revenue. Even if Sponsor is not required to report this payment to the IRS or issue a tax form (such as Form 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC) because the payment falls below the applicable reporting threshold, the payment may still be taxable to the winner. It is the winner’s sole responsibility to determine the taxability of this payment and to report it on your individual tax returns. Sponsor does not provide personal tax advice. Sponsor strongly recommends that you consult with a qualified tax professional regarding the tax implications of this payment.
a. Non-Resident Individuals and Non-U.S. Tax Residents. United States tax law requires Sponsor to withhold federal income tax from your payment. Unless you are eligible for, and have properly claimed, a specific tax treaty exemption by submitting the required documentation (e.g., Form W-8BEN or Form 8233) to Sponsor prior to the payment date, a mandatory federal tax withholding of up to 30% will be deducted directly from your payment. Depending on the nature of the payment and your location, state or local tax withholding may also apply. Sponsor will report the gross payment amount and any taxes withheld to the IRS on Form 1042-S. Sponsor cannot provide personal tax advice or assist in the preparation of your tax returns; please consult a tax professional regarding your specific tax situation.
12. Winner List and Rules Request
For the name of the winners or a copy of these Official Rules, visit this link.
