McCloskey New Venture Competition: dates, who attends, and how founders get in
Notre Dame’s premier venture competition helps aspiring entrepreneurs validate ideas, develop startup skills, connect with mentors, and compete for funding and resources to advance innovative ventures.
The essentials from the organiser's own pages: when, where, how big, and how founders get in. Speakers, investor lists and past editions are on the official site.
- Next edition
- Apr 21–24, 2027 · McCloskey 2027 source
- Where
- University of Notre Dame campus; semifinals at the IDEA Center and final pitches at Decio Theater at DPAC, Notre Dame, United States
- Format
- in-person
- Startup pass
- Apply through the Startup Forge Round 1 application with a venture summary, a short pitch deck, and a three-minute pitch video; Round 1 submissions are due November 8, 2026. Eligible applicants include Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s students, alumni, faculty and staff, regional high-schoolers, and community members. source
- McCloskey New Venture Competition
- $100,000+ in prizes for student founders (2027) source
- Cadence
- Annual, late April
Next edition
| Dates | Apr 21–24, 2027 source |
|---|---|
| Edition | McCloskey 2027 |
| Venue | University of Notre Dame campus; semifinals at the IDEA Center and final pitches at Decio Theater at DPAC, Notre Dame, United States |
How founders get in
| Startup programme | Apply through the Startup Forge Round 1 application with a venture summary, a short pitch deck, and a three-minute pitch video; Round 1 submissions are due November 8, 2026. Eligible applicants include Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s students, alumni, faculty and staff, regional high-schoolers, and community members. source |
|---|
McCloskey New Venture Competition
| Prize | $100,000+ in prizes for student founders (2027) source |
|---|
Meeting investors there
The organizer says teams engage experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders through mentorship, feedback, and educational programming. source
Before you go: the hub's cold email to VCs playbook covers the pre-event outreach that fills a meeting calendar, and Causo matches your stage and thesis to the funds in its database so you know who to ask for a meeting.
Official links and socials
Prepare for it
- How to cold email VCs — book the meetings before you land.
- The 12-slide seed deck — what to have ready when a partner says "send me the deck".
- Pitch Deck Roaster — a slide-by-slide pass before you submit to McCloskey New Venture Competition.
- Accelerator deadlines — the application windows that open around the event.
Sources
Every fact above was read from one of these official pages on Oct 26, 2026:
- notredame.startupforge.app/p/mccloskey
- ideacenter.nd.edu/news-and-events/events/2026/10/30/mccloskey-judges-registration-deadline
- ideacenter.nd.edu/news-and-events/events/2026/04/24/idea-week-mccloskey-new-venture-competition
- ideacenter.nd.edu/student-entrepreneurship/co-curricular-student-entrepreneurship/competitions-awards-and-programs/mccloskey-new-venture-competition
- ideacenter.nd.edu/news-and-events/events/2026/09/20/mccloskey-new-venture-competition-round-1-applications-open