The call for entries, presented today at the Menador by the Councillor for Economic Development, Juan Carlos Redondo, and the Vice-Rector for Innovation, Transfer, and Territory, Marisa Flor, reinforces the commitment to innovation with 17 awards. The prizes, funded by the City Council and managed by the UJI through the Vice-Rectorate and the INCREA Chair, aim to ensure that university talent stays and grows in the city.
Juan Carlos Redondo highlighted that the objective is to “create the conditions for talent to stay, grow, and contribute value to our city.” This year, the endowment reaches €90,000 to support the different stages of the entrepreneurial process, from idea to established company. “We want a Castelló capable of generating, attracting, and retaining talent, and of turning good ideas into projects, businesses, and employment,” he stated.
The call for entries is divided into three categories. The business acceleration category is aimed at recently created companies based in Castelló that are already developing their innovative activity. The second category is for entrepreneurial projects emerging from the University, and the third will recognize disruptive ideas from students that address the future challenges of the capital of La Plana.
Vice-Rector Marisa Flor pointed out that the awards allow for “identifying and supporting university talent so that the knowledge, skills, and ideas generated at the UJI become projects with a future.” She emphasized that it is a fundamental pathway for transfer, connecting the innovative capacity of students with the needs of the territory to translate into economic activity, employment, and social and environmental impact.
The business acceleration category will distribute up to €60,500, with a first prize of €20,500 and four runner-up prizes of €10,000 each. It is aimed at micro and small enterprises established from January 1, 2019, with headquarters in Castelló, and where at least one founder is a student or graduate of the UJI within the last ten years.
The second category will award seven prizes of €4,000 to entrepreneurial projects that are not yet constituted as companies. The initiatives must be in an advanced stage, with a proven service or prototype, and at least one team member must be a student of the UJI or have graduated in the last five years. Beneficiaries will be required to establish a mercantile company or cooperative with its registered office in Castelló.
Finally, the third category will offer five prizes of €300 for disruptive ideas related to the future challenges of Castelló and the Sustainable Development Goals. Participants must be students of the UJI during the 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 academic years, and the analysis of the problem, originality, and potential impact of the solution will be evaluated.
