The Incubation
Play your IDEA 2025
PLAY Your Idea it is an annual initiative promoted by PLAY – Creative and Technological Incubator of the Lusophone University, aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation.
The competition aims to distinguish innovative, competitive, differentiating, and sustainable business projects, helping to transform promising ideas into viable businesses.
General Objective
The program seeks to identify and reward the best business-based projects that demonstrate potential for innovation, scalability, and sustainable impact on the market.
Recipients
Open to participants over 18 years old, individually or in groups, the contest accepts ideas from citizens residing in Portugal. Projects that propose new business units, products, services, or organizational processes are eligible.
Evaluation Criteria
Projects are assessed by the degree of:
- Innovation and originality;
- Scalability and development potential;
- Market and operational feasibility
Categories
The contest has two categories:
- Category A: Arts, Communication and Creative Industries;
- Category B: Digital and Technology (software and hardware).
Prizes
Participants compete for a set of benefits, where the first place has the following awards:
-
Monetary prize of €1,250;
-
1 Year incubation at PLAY;
-
100% discount on tuition fee a Postgraduate Course at LES;
-
Category A: Development of the project in a partner company of the European project FILMEU;
-
Category B 1 Year access to the CGI Unicorn Academy program.
Other Benefits
- Networking opportunities with investors and strategic partners;
- Media visibility for the awarded projects.
How to Participate
Applications are open for 2025 edition. Read the rules and apply in the form available.
All submitted projects must meet the criteria of economic viability, respect for laws, and good market practices.
Regulation
ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONTEST PLAY YOUR IDEA 2025
PREAMBLE
A PLAY – Creative and Technological Incubator of the Lusophone University promotes the contest “PLAY YOUR IDEA 2025”, governed by this Regulation, with the aim of encouraging entrepreneurship and boosting the development of innovative, differentiating and sustainable projects.
Article 1 - General Objective
The competition aims to distinguish and support the best business and creative based projects, focusing on innovation, competitiveness and sustainable impact on the market.
Article 2 - Sponsorships/Donatives
This initiative has the support of the following entities:
- General Deposit Box (CGD);
- CGI Portugal;
- FilmEU European University
- Lusophone Executive School (LES), the School of Executives of the Lusophone Teaching Group.
Article 3 - Competitors/Recipients
Can apply:
- Citizens over the age of 18, individually or in groups;
- Individual entrepreneurs and members of legally constituted companies;
- Projects developed within the scope of entrepreneurship curricular units of the Lusophone Teaching Group courses.
Note: Direct family members of jury members are excluded from the competition.
Article 4 - Eligibility
Projects must:
- Propose the creation of new businesses, innovative products or services;
- Have the promoters resident in Portugal at the time of application;
- Demonstrate economic viability and sustainability;
- Respect all legal rules of the European Union and Portugal;
- Comply with ethical standards and good market practices.
Article 5 - Application Deadline and Selection Phases
Applications must be submitted between the date of launch of the competition and 31 March 2025.
The contest will take place in 3 phases:
- Phase 1 - Generate Ideas - reception of applications until March 31, 2025
- Phase 2 - Stucture Ideas - Structuring and detailing the 30 best ideas in each category - until May 16, 2025
- Phase 3 - Pitch Ideas final presentation of the 10 finalists of each category - June 25, 2025
Article 6 - Project Categories
The contest contemplates two categories:
- Category A: Arts, Communication and Creative Industries;
- Category B: Digital and Technology (software and hardware).
Article 7 - Application Formalization
Applications must be submitted through the form available on the Lusophone University website. Only registrations duly completed and submitted within the deadline will be accepted.
Doubts can be clarified by email
Article 8 - Evaluation Criteria
The projects will be evaluated by the jury according to the following criteria:
- Innovation & originality;
- Scalability and development potential;
- Market and operational feasibility.
Note: The decisions of the jury are final and not subject to appeal.
Article 9 - Awards
Winners, by category, will receive:
1 Place:
- Monetary prize of €1.250;
- 1 Year incubation at PLAY;
- 100% discount on tuition fee a Postgraduate Course at LES;
- Category A: Development of the project in a partner company of the European project FILMEU;
- Category B 1 Year access to the CGI Unicorn Academy program.
2nd Place:
- Monetary prize of €500;
- 6 Months of incubation at PLAY;
- 80% discount on tuition a Postgraduate Course at LES;
- Category A: Development of the project in a partner company of the European project FILMEU;
- Category B: 6 months access to the CGI Unicorn Academy program.
3rd Place:
- Monetary prize of €250;
- 3 Months incubation on PLAY;
- 40% discount on tuition a Postgraduate Course at LES;
- Category A: Development of the project in a partner company of the European project FILMEU;
- Category B: 3 months access to the CGI Unicorn Academy program.
Honorable Mentions: The jury may award additional distinctions to outstanding projects.
Note: The jury reserves the right not to award prizes if the projects do not meet the required quality criteria.
The awards will take place in a public ceremony, with wide dissemination.
Article 10 - Final Provisions
- The organization guarantees the confidentiality of the information of the submitted projects;
- The organisation may amend this regulation and the composition of the jury on justified grounds;
Participation in the competition implies full acceptance of the regulation.