The Governor’s Cup is for all current college students in Arkansas! There is no cost to enter and the 2023 cash prize pool is $114,000!
Arkansas Capital launched the Governor’s Cup over two decades ago to encourage college students to be innovative and think like entrepreneurs. It’s a perfect opportunity for students who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs and small business owners; who may just want to learn about entrepreneurship; or who already have a business idea, and they don’t want to wait until after college to launch!
The competition doesn’t require students to start their businesses, although nearly 30 companies operating in Arkansas today have their roots in the competition. C-Suite executives from several of them report their companies would not have launched if it hadn’t been for the Governor’s Cup.
Ultimately, students get a true entrepreneur education experience. They are fully immersed into what it takes to launch a startup from the ground up. The rigor of the work leads them to gain a much greater appreciation of the challenges real-world entrepreneurs face in the business model and customer development process.
Students also get constructive and meaningful feedback throughout the process from nearly 40 volunteer judges – most of whom are Arkansas-based entrepreneurs, small business owners, and current or former large corporation executives. Many competition alumni say they continue to benefit from the networking opportunities and relationships created through their Governor’s Cup experiences.
2023 Calendar
- January 3
Team Application Window Opens in YouNoodle - February 5 (Updated 2/2/23)
Team Applications Created
in YouNoodle - February 12
Business Plans and
Team Showcase Video Due - March 3 – 2:00 p.m.
Team Showcase Video and
Finalists Announcement
Link to be posted at argovernorscup.org - March 16
Oral Presentations (Virtual) - April 7
Awards Luncheon
Fayetteville Public Library
Event Center
Governor’s Cup Awards
CASH prizes, a school trophy, and framed certificates are awarded to the winning teams – that includes students AND faculty!
Previous Winners and
Awards Luncheon Videos
The Governor’s Cup has been around longer than some of today’s competitors! More than 3,000 students have been impacted since the first competition in 2001. Who were the winners?
