// For School Coordinators & Principals

Everything You Need
to Say Yes.

The Founder's Cup is a 10-week entrepreneurship program that delivers SACE Stage 1 Business Innovation credit. This page answers every question a coordinator or principal needs before committing.

Book a 20-min call See curriculum fit →
Overview Curriculum & SACE Delivery Model Staff Commitment Safeguarding How to Start FAQ
2026 Pilot — Now Underway
The program is running now with a leading South Australian independent school. The 2027 founding cohort opens to 8 schools. Book a 20-min call to discuss fit for your school.
// Overview

What It Is

The Founder's Cup gives students a structured 10-week framework to build a real venture — from identifying a problem through to a live pitch in front of industry judges. It is assessed through SACE, teacher-facilitated and mentor-supported, and designed to reduce rather than increase teacher workload.

📋
SACE Stage 1 Credit
Maps directly to Business Innovation (1BNV10 / 1BNV20). 100% school-assessed. No external exam.
🎓
Mentor-Led Delivery
Each student is paired with an industry mentor. The teacher facilitates weekly sessions; industry mentors provide real-world context, feedback, and support across the term.
💻
Purpose-Built LMS
Students submit weekly work at app.foundercup.com. Schools have a read-only progress dashboard showing every student's status.
🏆
Demo Day Competition
Week 10 culminates in a live pitch to a panel of founders and business leaders. Top ventures advance to the state finals.
// Curriculum & SACE Alignment

SACE BI — Covered in Full

The Founder's Cup covers all four SACE Stage 1 Business Innovation topics. The 10 weekly deliverables map directly to a SACE Business Investigation Portfolio. The Week 10 Demo Day maps directly to a Business Presentation assessment task.

SACE TopicCovered in
Finding & Solving ProblemsWeeks 1–5
Financial Awareness & Decision-MakingWeeks 6–7
Business Information & CommunicationWeeks 8–10
Global, Local & Digital ConnectionsWoven throughout

A full SACE alignment guide with LAP template text is available on request.

Assessment Task Design
Assessment Task 1 — Portfolio (50–60%)
The 9 weekly deliverables compiled as a Business Investigation Portfolio. Submitted end of Week 9.

Assessment Task 2 — Presentation (40–50%)
Week 10 Demo Day pitch. Assessed by school coordinator against SACE performance standards.
// Delivery Model

How It's Delivered

The Founder's Cup runs as the school's Business Innovation subject — delivered during timetabled class time, assessed through SACE, and replacing standard BI delivery for that semester. It is not an add-on. It is the subject.

W1
Platform onboarding + Week 1 launch
Students enrol in the LMS, complete their profile, watch the intro video, and begin their Problem Definition work in class. Industry mentor assigned by end of Week 1.
W2–9
Weekly module + mentor feedback cycle
Each week: new module unlocks, students complete tasks and submit their deliverable, mentor reviews and provides written feedback. School coordinator monitors progress dashboard.
W10
Demo Day — school qualifier
5-minute pitch + 3-minute Q&A per student/team, before a panel of 3–5 judges from the school community. Top ventures advance to the state finals.
What the school provides
  • → A registered teacher as coordinator — required as the responsible SACE educator. Business studies, commerce, or a related teacher is ideal.
  • → Timetabled class periods for Business Innovation (the program runs in place of standard BI delivery)
  • → Access to the school community for mentor and judge recruitment
  • → A Demo Day venue (on-campus is fine)
What the program provides
  • ✓ Full 10-week curriculum, workbooks, and video resources
  • ✓ Industry mentor matched to each student
  • ✓ Platform (LMS + school progress dashboard)
  • ✓ SACE alignment guide and LAP template text
  • ✓ Demo Day judging criteria and scoring sheets
  • ✓ Program coordinator support throughout
// Staff Commitment

How Much Work Is It?

The program is designed to reduce teacher workload, not add to it. Teachers facilitate the program; industry mentors provide weekly feedback, real-world experience, and one-on-one support throughout the term. The school coordinator role is light.

TaskWhoTimeFrequency
Brief students on the week's topicCoordinator10 minutesWeekly
Check platform progress dashboardCoordinator10 minutesWeekly
Review mentor feedback (for assessment records)Coordinator15 minutesWeekly
SACE grading and submissionCoordinator2–3 hours totalEnd of term
Demo Day logistics (room, judges, schedule)Coordinator2–3 hours totalWeek 9–10

Total coordinator time: approximately 45–60 minutes per week during the program, plus Demo Day preparation.

// Safeguarding & Compliance

Student Safety

We take safeguarding seriously. All mentor-student communication occurs through the platform, school coordinators have full visibility, and all mentors are screened before being assigned to students.

🔍
Mentor Screening
All mentors complete program induction, agree to a Code of Conduct, and provide identity verification. Working with Children Check required before student assignment.
💬
Supervised Communication
All mentor-student messaging occurs within the platform. School coordinators have read access to all threads. No private contact outside the platform is permitted.
🏫
School Policy Primacy
The school's own safeguarding policies take precedence for enrolled students. We work within your framework, not around it.
📋
Full Policy Available
Our complete Safeguarding Policy is available for review. We can provide documentation for your school's approval process on request.
// Getting Started

How Schools Join

From first conversation to students logging in: a straightforward 5-step process.

1
Initial conversation (20 minutes)
Book a call with Luke Lombe. We'll discuss your school's context, timetable fit, year level, and any specific requirements. No obligation.
2
School approval & LAP submission
We provide the SACE alignment guide and LAP template text. Coordinator submits the Learning and Assessment Plan to the SACE Board for approval (standard process, no special requirements).
3
Coordinator setup & student enrolment
Coordinator receives admin access to the platform. Students are enrolled via CSV upload or individual invite. Magic link login — no passwords required.
4
Mentor matching
We match each student with an industry mentor from our network. Schools can nominate parent mentors or community members to join the mentor pool.
5
Program launch — Week 1
Students receive their magic link, complete onboarding, and begin Week 1. The coordinator dashboard is live from Day 1.
// Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions

What year levels is the program suitable for?
Year 10–12. Year 11 is the most common entry point for SACE Stage 1, but the program is suitable for Year 10 (as an early SACE credit) or Year 12. Students must be 15–18 at the time of participation.
Does this replace or supplement Business Innovation classes?
It can do either. Schools running it as their primary Business Innovation delivery vehicle use it to replace standard term delivery — all assessment tasks are generated by the program. Schools can also run it as a co-curricular alongside existing BI classes.
What is the minimum student cohort size?
There is no minimum. We have run cohorts of 5 and cohorts of 30. Mentor matching is flexible. Larger cohorts may require more lead time for mentor recruitment.
Does the teacher need to be a business specialist?
No. Because this is a timetabled SACE subject, the coordinator must be a registered teacher — they are the responsible educator for assessment purposes. Business studies or commerce experience is ideal but not required. Industry mentors handle the real-world content; the teacher facilitates and assesses.
What are the technology requirements?
Students need access to a device with a web browser (laptop, tablet, or desktop). The platform runs on any modern browser — no software installation required. A reliable internet connection is needed for video resources.
What is the cost?
Pricing is discussed on a per-school basis and depends on cohort size and program scope. Contact us to get an indicative quote for your school.
What is the weekly time commitment for students?
Approximately 2–3 hours per week for the program work, including the weekly task checklist, submission, and any customer interviews or research required. Students work at their own pace within the week's module.
What happens if a student or team doesn't finish the program?
SACE assessment is based on the work completed. Incomplete submissions receive partial credit consistent with SACE performance standards. Students who complete at least 7 weeks and submit the portfolio have sufficient evidence for a grade.
How are mentors sourced?
From the program's mentor network and from the school community. We encourage schools to nominate parents, alumni, and local business connections. All mentors are screened and inducted before being assigned to students.
Is the program available outside South Australia?
The 2026 pilot is in South Australia. National expansion is planned from 2027. If you're based outside SA, contact us — we'd love to talk about what's possible.

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