Competition Rules

These rules govern the school Demo Day qualifier and, where applicable, the state-level Founder's Cup Finals. Participation constitutes acceptance of these rules.

1. Eligibility

• Participants must be enrolled students of a participating school in good standing
• Students must have completed the full 10-week program curriculum and submitted all required deliverables
• Students must be in Years 9–12 (or equivalent ages 14–18)
• Each student may only represent one venture at Demo Day

2. The Demo Day Pitch

• Pitch duration: 5 minutes maximum
• Q&A duration: 3 minutes
• Pitch decks must be submitted to the program coordinator 48 hours prior to Demo Day
• Visual aids (slides, props, demonstrations) are permitted but not required
• Teams of 2–4 students may pitch together as a joint venture; solo pitches are also permitted

3. Judging Criteria

Judges assess ventures on the following criteria. Students are evaluated on the quality of their thinking and process, not the commercial viability of their idea.

Criterion	Weight	What judges look for
Problem & Customer Evidence	25%	Real customer interviews, genuine insight, specific problem definition
Solution & Market Understanding	25%	Clear MVP, defensible market sizing, competitive awareness
Business Model & Financials	20%	Coherent revenue model, unit economics, realistic projections
Communication & Pitch Quality	20%	Clarity, structure, handling of Q&A
Effort & Process	10%	Evidence of genuine engagement across all 10 weeks

4. Judging Process

• Each Demo Day panel comprises a minimum of 3 judges
• Judges score independently before group deliberation
• The panel chair resolves tied scores
• Judging decisions are final and not subject to appeal
• Judges disclose any conflicts of interest before scoring begins

5. Awards

• Winner — advances to state finals (where applicable)
• Runner-Up — may advance to state finals
• Honourable Mention — recognises exceptional effort, social impact, or creativity

Prize details (where applicable) are announced prior to each competition year. Cash prizes are subject to school and parental consent for student recipients.

6. Intellectual Property

Students retain full ownership of their venture ideas. Participation in the competition does not transfer any intellectual property rights to Echelon One, judges, sponsors, or other participants.

7. Conduct

All participants must behave respectfully toward judges, fellow competitors, and event staff. Misconduct may result in disqualification. Echelon One's determination on conduct matters is final.

8. Photography and Media

Event photography and video may be used for program marketing with appropriate consent. Students and families may decline photography by notifying the school coordinator prior to the event.

9. Contact

Echelon One Pty Ltd
hello@foundercup.com