Youth Venture

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does the @15™ application have to propose expanding the impact of my current Venture or can I propose a new idea?

As long as you are part of a Venture Team as of September 1, 2008 you can apply to either expand your current Venture or to take a new approach to a problem.

What exactly are the age limits for the Challenge?

The @15™ Challenge is only open to youth age 12-18. At least 60 percent of team members must meet this requirement. Additionally, all team members should be age 12-20. Note: Adult Allies do not need to meet this requirement. Youth Venture offers other funding opportunities for youth over age 18, including the Collaboration Prize and the Staple Social Entrepreneur Competition Additionally, check out Grant and Other Funding Opportunities.

What criteria is Youth Venture using to determine the finalists?

All applications will be evaluated on Youth Venture’s selection criteria. Venture Teams that display the greatest creativity and community impact in their Venture and the clearest vision of how to create sustainable change will be chosen as finalists.

Where will the public voting take place?

The Best Buy Children’s Foundation @15™ website (www.at15.com) and Youth Venture (www.genv.net) will co-host the virtual competition. The public will also have the opportunity to vote for Venture Teams through mobile phones.

When exactly will the 30 finalists and 15 winners be announced?

Youth Venture will update the timeline as soon as the final dates have been confirmed. Keep checking back!

How are the 300 Venture Teams selected for seed grants of up to $1,000?

Youth Venture will identify and distribute the funding to teams through the normal Action Plan and Selection Panel process. There is no need to fill out a separate application.