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Prototype funding can spur development and help convey your idea to a broader audience. We have funding available to teams that are entering the 2026 Health Innovation Challenge and/or the 2026 Environmental Innovation Challenge to help with creating a physical model, object, interactive program, or device. This application is open to registered students attending WA colleges or universities. Create your account and apply now!
Student teams are invited to apply for funds that can be used to:
- Purchase materials
- Rent equipment
- Pay for access to makerspaces and pay-for-use research facilities
-Pay for access to digital development tools and proprietary databases
- Rent equipment
- Pay for access to makerspaces and pay-for-use research facilities
-Pay for access to digital development tools and proprietary databases
Funds can NOT be used for:
- Marketing
- Business cards
- Displays
- Signage
- Computers
- Digital devices
- Legal or professional fees
- Third-party software or app development
- Paying team members or consultants
- Transportation
- Lodging
- Business cards
- Displays
- Signage
- Computers
- Digital devices
- Legal or professional fees
- Third-party software or app development
- Paying team members or consultants
- Transportation
- Lodging
Information you will need to complete the application:
- Current student team members' contact information. This will be used to invite Team Members to complete their Profiles for the application. PLEASE NOTE: TEAM MEMBER PROFILES MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE APPLICATION CAN BE SUBMITTED! We recommend notifying your team members of this requirement and encouraging them to submit their profile well before the deadline.
- Description of the problem you are attempting to solve.
- Description of the solution you are proposing.
- Description of the prototype you will build to demonstrate your solution.
- A budget estimate (itemized list) to build your prototype. Changes are expected but any major changes must be approved by a competition manager.
- Description of the problem you are attempting to solve.
- Description of the solution you are proposing.
- Description of the prototype you will build to demonstrate your solution.
- A budget estimate (itemized list) to build your prototype. Changes are expected but any major changes must be approved by a competition manager.
2025- 2026 Application Information
Deadline: Monday, December 8 @ Noon PST
Please Note: There is only ONE application deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year. Teams will be notified of the amount of funding they will be awarded 2-3 weeks after submission.
Awards are generally between $500-$2500, although other requests will be considered. Teams must commit to entering the Health Innovation Challenge and/or the Environmental Innovation Challenge if they accept prototype funding. Individual projects or technologies may only receive up to 3 consecutive rounds of prototype funding.
Please Note: There is only ONE application deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year. Teams will be notified of the amount of funding they will be awarded 2-3 weeks after submission.
Awards are generally between $500-$2500, although other requests will be considered. Teams must commit to entering the Health Innovation Challenge and/or the Environmental Innovation Challenge if they accept prototype funding. Individual projects or technologies may only receive up to 3 consecutive rounds of prototype funding.