For Participants

• Jan 29, 2025: Deadline for teams to register for the competition

• February 5, 2025 1:30pm-3:00pm: All registered teams participate in the Medicaid information session with investors, startups and experts to learn more about innovation opportunities in the Medicaid program

• Month of February: Teams have access to office hours, mentors, and background resources to develop and refine their pitches 

• March 4, 2025, 9:00pm: Deadline for teams to submit pitch packets

• March 7, 2025: Finalist teams selected and notified 

• March 11, 2025 4:00pm-8:00pm: Finalist teams participate in live competition with a panel of investor, potential customer, startup and expert judges

1. Teams must have 2-5 members who are all current students in a UC Berkeley degree program. 

2. We encourage students to form teams with a mix of background, experience and expertise including members:

• With lived or professional experience in their area of focus

• Enrolled in different degree programs (such as public health, business, social welfare and data science) 

3. The proposed business must be a new, independent venture that does not yet have a product or funding.

4. To be eligible for the Medicaid Innovation Competition teams must register by Jan 29, attend the Medicaid information session on February 5, submit a complete Pitch Packet by March 4, and be available for the live pitch competition on March 11.

All teams are required to submit a packet of materials by March 4, 2025 at 9:00pm. These materials will be used by the Medicaid Innovation Competition leaders to select finalists and by the judges to select prize winners.

The following must be included in the packet:

1. Final Pitch Deck (approx 10 slides) including an overview of your problem and proposed solution, profile of customers, market and the go-to-market approach and an outline of the proposed business model and plan. See judging criteria for more information on how the pitch deck will be reviewed by judges.

2. Team qualifications include a description of each team member's relevant professional, educational and/or lived experience with Medicaid, healthcare, and public health.

3. A two-minute video of your pitch highlighting your value proposition and business proposal

Pitch packet submissions should be shared no later than Tuesday March 4, 2025 at 9:00pm PST. 

March 7, 2025: Finalist teams selected and notified 

Problem/solution - 20%

• Well-defined problem addressing a Medicaid priority

• Well-articulated solution

• Clear value proposition

Customer/Market - 20%

• Clearly defined customer

• Well-understood marketplace 

Business Model and Plan - 20%

• Well-structured go-to-market and customer acquisition approach 

• Well-defined revenue model and expected growth/traction

• Clear financial assumptions (revenue, costs, timeline)

Team Qualifications - 20% 

• Participants represent diverse experiences and backgrounds 

• Educational, professional, volunteer, and lived experience with Medicaid, healthcare, and public health

In-person pitch - 20%

• Well-crafted and structured presentation

• Well-presented pitch (8 minutes to pitch, 5 minutes for Q&A)

• Clear call to action

• Two minute video pitch submitted in pitch packet

First Place: $3,000 

Second Place: $2,000

Third Place: $1,000