Subsite Background

Student Stream (formerly known as the Entrepreneurial KT (EKT) Fund for students)

B. Student Stream

1. There should be at least one full-time LU student# in the team who acts as the Project Leader (PL). Final year students are also eligible.

# can be undergraduate (UG)/ taught postgraduate (TPg)/ research postgraduate (RPg) students of LU

2. Funding Amount: up to HKD30,000 per approved project.

3. The PL may invite alumni and external experts to join the project team.

4. The project should be related to the PL’s academic discipline or demonstrate a broad application of interdisciplinary knowledge in the liberal arts curriculum.

5. The duration of the project should be within a year (i.e. 12 months).

 

Application Deadline

Every 1st of September, November, January, March, and May of the year

Submit your application form and upload your proposal 


Purpose

The entrepreneurial spirit is essential to all successful initiatives, including knowledge transfer (KT) activities. The Programme aims to promote entrepreneurship at LU by encouraging students to lead meaningful projects using their academic knowledge.

The Programme will support students with innovative ideas, practical solutions, and executable plans to challenge the status quo for the betterment of society. Grant recipients can use the fund to develop prototypes for a new product or proof of a new concept that will lead to or is aimed at starting an NGO, social enterprise, or company for impact on humanity, or commercialising outputs of research work conducted under LU. The fund should not be considered as an investment to sustain a business, it is the seed fund for project and business start-up.


Eligibility

  1. The project must be led by at least one full-time LU student as Project Leader (PL). Final year students are also eligible.
  2. The PL may invite alumni and external experts to join the project team.
  3. The project should be related to the PL’s academic discipline or demonstrate a broad application of interdisciplinary knowledge in the liberal arts curriculum.

# can be undergraduate (UG)/ taught postgraduate (TPg)/ research postgraduate (RPg) students of LU


Application Procedure

1. Applicants should submit their application and proposal online to LEI.

2. The project proposal (Sample) should be limited to 6 pages (in 12-point font) and include the followings:

Project Leader and project team members

  1. Project title;
  2. An executive summary;
  3. How the project may meet the above-mentioned assessment criteria ;
  4. Description, format, and schedule of activities (e.g. problem statement/ opportunity statement, proposed solution/ business idea, objectives, business model, competitive advantages of the product/service over the current competitors, date, time, duration, venue, marketing strategies, and the target number of participants, etc.);
  5. (for Student Stream only:) Information of the Project Advisor (Optional) and CVs of the Project Leader and project team members;
  6. Information of the community partner(s), investor(s), and/or NGO(s);
  7. Type and expected number of target beneficiaries;
  8. Revenue expected to be generated;
  9. Expected outcomes, achievements, impact, and contributions of the project
  • On target beneficiaries
  • On the local community being engaged
  • On students
  1. Budget
  • Expenses (e.g. staff cost, marketing/activities cost)
  • Amount of funds requested
  • Income (e.g. programme fee, contribution by volunteers, etc.)
  • Other sources of financial support (e.g. donation, sponsorship, etc.)
  1. Key Performance Indicators and Measurement (i.e. how the impact/performance will be measured)
  • On target beneficiaries
  • On the local community being engaged
  • Regarding commercial viability
  • Overall project evaluation
  1. Sustainability of the project/business
  2. Plan on how to share the project outcomes and impact with the Lingnan community and the wider public
  3. Capability of project team (Highlight the role of Lingnan students in the project)
  4. Applications to any other funding sources (rejected / pending approval / to be submitted)
  1. Applicants with preliminary ideas are welcome to meet with LEI for advice and comments before drafting a comprehensive proposal.
  2. A successful applicant will be disqualified and/or, where appropriate, be required to refund the fund granted from the Entrepreneurship Programme if he/she provides any false or misleading information in the process of application.

Assessment Criteria

Assessment will be conducted by the IIF Entrepreneurship Programme Management Committee on the basis of:

  1. Potential of creating significant impact leading to improvement in the quality of life for the community or raising professional standards or business opportunities in the industry
  2. Comprehensiveness, originality, and innovativeness of the project
  3. Feasibility and sustainability of the project
  4. Quality of the execution plan
  5. Commercial viability and potential to attract additional investment
  6. The team and proposed partners’ professional capability
  7. The extent of social, economic, environmental, and cultural impact on the beneficiaries
  8. Concrete partnership with the community partners/NGOs
  9. Active and extensive participation of LU students

Funding Available

1. For the Student Stream, the Fund will be paid in the form of reimbursement. The use of funds should comply with the University’s rules and regulations (e.g. on purchasing). Consultation with the project advisor or LEI staff before purchasing is recommended. Unspent funds upon project completion will be returned to the IIF.

2. On completion of the project, presentation of original receipts for spending and a final report are required. All changes to the approved project and deferral of completion date require the approval of the IIF Entrepreneurship Programme Management Committee in advance.

3. The Fund is a token subsidy and can be held concurrently with other subsidies and sponsorships. However, applicants are required to declare and report on details of any subsidies and sponsorships already received at the time of application or as soon as they are awarded.


Final Report

  1. The PL is required to submit a final report within one month upon the completion of the project. The final report should include:
    1. An account of the activities carried out (with information on the date, time, venue, number of participants, etc);
    2. An evaluation of the project with details on:
      • Impact of the project against agreed objectives;
      • Results achieved;
      • Use of the Fund;
      • Ways of disseminating the project results or findings inside and outside of campus;
      • Obstacles encountered and areas for improvement;
      • Feedback and evaluation by beneficiaries (e.g. surveys, focus groups, etc.) and, if applicable, LU students (e.g. learning reports, reflective journals, questionnaires, focus groups, etc.);
    3. Further developments and sustainability of the project;
    4. A financial statement with all the original receipts for expenses incurred within the project period;
    5. A video and/or photo CD of all the project activities;
  2. LEI will arrange regular meetings to review the progress during the project implementation phase. Upon completion of the projects, project teams may be invited to present their findings and outcomes to the University community and the wider public. LEI and other units of the University, such as OCPA and ORKT, may also use the materials provided in the report for publicity purposes.

For Enquiry

Tel:          2616 8074

E-mail:    lei@ln.edu.hk

Walk-in: Office of Service-Learning, LBY101