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APPLY HERE: https://platform.tef.tech/sign-up

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TEF Ignition in a nutshell

TEF Ignition is a 7-week program designed to launch students’ entrepreneurial journey, through a combination of:

Applications for the Spring Batch are open from January 16th 2026 till March 5th 2026 11.59 pm. The program will select 100 teams to participate in Ignition. At the end of the program, up to 15 best-performing teams will be selected to pitch at Demo Day and compete for TEF awards, which include cash prizes of up to €10,000 and participation in high-value training activities.

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Ignition is the perfect opportunity to experience in 7 weeks what it means to be a founder: test your ideas, get feedbacks, make mistakes, and iterate.

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Who & what we are looking for

We are looking for curious and motivated people who want to explore an entrepreneurial idea built around a clearly identified and relevant problem.

We welcome applications from both solo founders and teams. That said, we strongly encourage team formation, as teams with complementary skills, diverse backgrounds, and a multidisciplinary approach tend to move faster and learn more.

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To support this, we offer Match-A, our co-founder matching platform, designed to help you find the right people to build with. You can explore it HERE.

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We do not expect fully polished startups. What matters most is the potential of the solution - its relevance, its possible impact and its ability to grow over time - together with the team’s entrepreneurial mindset and vision.

Ignition is sector-agnostic and open to ideas at any stage of development, including very early ones. Even if you’re unsure you tick all the boxes, we strongly encourage you to apply: entrepreneurship is about learning by doing, and Ignition is designed to support you throughout that journey.

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If you need some guidance on how to define your idea and communicate your vision effectively, here are some useful resources:

Application

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APPLY HERE: https://platform.tef.tech/sign-up

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To apply, teams must submit:

Please note that you cannot save a draft of your application, but you can change the contents of your application after submission at any time before the deadline. However, team composition cannot be changed once the application is submitted.

If your team doesn't make it into the program, you'll receive personalized feedback to help strengthen your idea for future applications.

Step-by-step

Step 1 — Create your account and start the application

Step 2 — Section 1: THE TEAM

Step 3 — Section 2: THE IDEA

Step 4 — Section 3: VIDEO PRESENTATION & PITCH

Step 5 — Section 4: THE PLAN

Step 6 — Submit

Step 7 — After you submit

Team composition

Teams can have up to 5 members, with a team leader who must be enrolled in a bachelor's or master's degree at Politecnico di Milano or Bocconi. Team members can be:

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PoliMi students who are selected for TEF Ignition must complete::

What to expect

The program lasts from March 27th 2026 till May 18th 2026. Over the 7 weeks, you'll participate in a structured journey to develop your idea:

Teams receive feedback after each workshop session. Additionally, teams that are not selected for Demo Day will receive detailed feedback on their progress and how to continue developing their startup.

Commitment

TEF Ignition is not a full-time program. We recognize that students have academic commitments, but active participation is essential to fully benefit from the experience.

Participants are expected to attend in-person, mentor-led workshops and complete the online e-learning modules.

Because in-person participation is a core component of the program, we do not accept students who will be on exchange during the program period, as they would not be able to attend the on-site workshops and fully engage with the experience.

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Each participating team receives a prize of €2,000 net. The corresponding gross amount is €2,667, on which TEF applies the required tax deduction in accordance with Article 30 of Presidential Decree No. 600/1973. Participants are not required to take any action regarding taxes.

Please note that, under Italian regulations, the gross prize amount (€2,667) may be included in the calculation of the household ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator) of the team leader or team member who receives the prize on behalf of the team, and may therefore affect that individual’s ISEE value for the relevant year.

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Meet Us & Get Application Help

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FAQs