Students with an innovative idea for a business are encouraged to compete in the 2012 University of Virginia Entrepreneurship Cup. Now in its fourth year, the annual business-concept competition is open to all U.Va. undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

A registered activity of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the E-Cup seeks to enrich the area’s entrepreneurial community by supporting the development of new ventures with the potential to solve societal and other problems. The top four finishers will be awarded $20,000, $10,000, $5,000 and $5,000 in prize money, provided by venture capital firm Third Security LLC.

To enter, students must select a track and submit a concept using the E-Cup’s online platform by their selected track’s deadline. Selected concepts will be presented at the track semifinal competitions, with the first-place team or individual from each track going on to compete in the Entrepreneurship Cup final competition at 1 p.m. on Nov. 16 in Bavaro Hall’s Holloway Hall. All events are open to the public.

For information about track deadlines and semi-final competitions, click here. For more information about the competition and how it works, visit www.virginia.edu/ecup.