The Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE) Student in Residence program gives students an opportunity to fully focus on their startups for an entire semester with a tremendous support network around them. These positions are open to any undergraduate or graduate students across Memorial University with an idea for a business or new venture.

Program details are below. Click HERE to apply.

About the Program

The Student in Residence program’s intent is to allow students to make their startup their primary focus for an entire semester, allowing students to rapidly accelerate their progress. This is a highly competitive program with an extremely limited number of positions. The program includes:

• A $10,000 award that you can employ any way you desire (i.e. you can put it into your startup or use it for personal expenses);
• 24/7 access to MCE’s coworking space;
• Weekly mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs;
• Weekly group peer coaching sessions with other students at a similar level of progress;
• Hands-on support in applying for additional funding or applying to other support programs;
• Invitation to exclusive MCE events featuring successful members of the entrepreneurship community;

*Please note that MCE does not take an equity stake or any form of payment from your startup. Everything here is 100% free to students.

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Eligibility

This program is open to all active students of Memorial University. The following are requirements for program eligibility:

• You must have an existing idea for a startup. You would ideally have already have done some work on this idea in advance, for example by performing research or conducting some customer interviews. We want to see evidence that you are fully dedicated to this idea. (Book a meeting with one of our coaches to get help on how to demonstrate this.)
• You must have an existing idea for a startup with a significant amount of validation. (Book a meeting with one of our coaches to get help on how to demonstrate this.)
• Preference is given to students who have successfully completed other programs at MCE, such as LearnLaunch.
• You must be enrolled for no more than one course for the semester. This is because the intent of the program is to make your startup your primary focus.
• For individuals seeking to receive academic credit for this position as a university Work Term, you will need approval from your department to participate in the program. You must not, however, seek this approval in advance of applying to the MCE.

If you have any questions about your eligibility, please feel free to reach out to one of our startup coaches with questions at any time.

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How to apply?

Click HERE to apply.

You can apply at any time, and we review applications on a weekly basis. You may even apply a semester in advance if you so desire.

It is NEVER too early to apply. Even if you’re not sure if you are advanced enough in your idea, apply and get the conversation started. All applicants will receive a meeting with our selection committee. If you are not yet ready for the Student in Residence program, we will offer you coaching and guidance to help you get there. 

If you require assistance with your application, or you are looking to apply down the road, book a meeting with one of us! 

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

I want to start something, How do I find an idea?
Think outside the box. Find a real problem and a solution that solves that unique problem. Focus on something you would love to do (because entrepreneurship is never the easiest path so it’s better to make it fun). Also, target something that has the potential to be bigger than NL (and Canada) because this is the ideal time for you to take some risks. Bigger risks equal larger potential rewards. The idea might have something to do with your schoolwork, research, or, it might be completely unrelated.

Should I be worried about my start-up failing?
Let’s think about the worst-case scenario here: you start a business during an entrepreneurial semester, and the business fails. Your left with a ton of learning and experience and you are back in school, right where you left off. That’s a pretty good worst-case scenario. And in the best case… well, that just depends on how big you can dream.