Visit the apply page to learn how to apply.

Those who participate in Forge experience a great deal of benefits, including:

• Compete for up to $7,500 in seed money for your venture, project, or initiative.
• Hone your mission and strengthen your plan through constructive feedback from the selection committee.
• Receive hands-on coaching from a team of Project Mentors, including
• local business mentors
• an Anselm House staff member, who will provide coaching on cultural and theological issues bearing on your project.
• Gain experience and feedback on how to pitch and communicate your venture, not just for the sake of Forge, but for other future partners as well.
• Continued and ongoing support and advocacy for you as you implement your project.

The Forge Selection Committee selects which proposals move forward at each stage. The members of this committee include successful local entrepreneurs, UMN faculty members, and representatives from the various partner organizations.

Praxis Labs, a Christian community of founders, funders and innovators, defines redemptive entrepreneurship as “the work of joining God in creative restoration through sacrifice in venture-building and innovation.” This involves operating models that seek to bless people, strategies that aim to renew culture, and a leadership culture that places the good of others ahead of self-protection and self-promotion. To learn more about redemptive entrepreneurship, visit www.redemptive.is.

The competition will be open to currently enrolled University of Minnesota students (undergraduate, graduate, and professional) or teams of UMN students who are open to seeing their entrepreneurial idea through the lens of a Christian view of redemptive flourishing.

No. We will, however, require applicants to connect their ventures, project and initiative to a redemptive frame grounded in Christian theological convictions, and articulate their rationale with reference in these terms and convictions.

Submissions will not be limited to business plans and ideas, however all submissions must involve innovation that creates value. Student submissions should address an existing problem with a plan that results in greater social and/or environmental flourishing, new industry standards, enhanced norms of care, generosity and/or community. Projects need not be fully developed at the initial submission stage. The review committee will help shape your idea in the early stages of project formation upon submission.

Potential submissions might include: creation of a prototype for a biotechnology device, a social enterprise that hires people who are formerly incarcerated, a solution that reduces carbon emissions, an app that promotes healthy marriage relationships, a business model that transforms industry norms, a marketing campaign that humanizes and promotes human dignity, a public health intervention that reduces racial health disparities, or a public arts initiative that promotes broad civic engagement.

We want to encourage all ideas and will consider both nonprofit and for-profit ventures, so long as they fulfill the eligibility requirements.

Clarity of Plan: Is there a coherent project description and corresponding budget. Is there a clear articulation of the need, problem and opportunity, as we as an articulation of the measurable impact the plan might have?

‍Redemptive Frame Alignment: How well does this project connect to the Christian construal of redemptive entrepreneurship as defined by Praxis?  How will your project bring about redemptive transformation?

‍Proposed Outcomes: Is the target market/audience/purpose clearly defined and understood? What current approaches exist and how is your solution better?

‍Market Awareness and Problem Understanding: Does the plan show evidence of understanding of the field and market, and “market research” related to current solutions already available. Do the defined results and outcomes seem plausible given the plan. Do you actually understand the problems you are trying to solve? Is it clear you’ve done your research, you’ve listened well, you’ve looked for the truth and pain points?

‍Team and Commitment: Does your team’s relevant experience prepare you to successfully address your problem/opportunity and to bring your solution to fruition? Is it clear you have a personal commitment/desire to pursue this plan?

‍Plausibility: how likely is it that the award money will effectively move the project forward?

We expect to receive a large volume of applications and are unable to comment on each one. We will be unable to share the exact reasons for why your project was declined.

Anselm House is a center for Christian study at the University of Minnesota dedicated to “connecting faith and knowledge with all of life.” Forge is a university engagement initiative of Anselm House. To learn more about Anselm House, please visit www.anselmhouse.org

Feel free to direct any additional questions to forge@anselmhouse.org.