Funding Opportunities

Gain real-world experience working within a startup or scaling company while completing your Kellogg MBA.

Application deadlines, questions and requirements may vary by program.

Levy Inspiration Grant Program

The Levy Inspiration Grant Program, funded by a generous gift from Larry and Carol Levy, provides up to $5,000 for students with entrepreneurial ambitions to immerse themselves directly in the market they wish to address. Rather than studying a problem from afar, we want you to experience it firsthand. As the name implies, the core tenets of this program are inspiration, exploration, and immersion. What you immerse yourself in and where you do it is completely up to you. With a Levy Inspiration Grant, we want you to go see for yourself.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be submitted at least 4 weeks in advance of your estimated travel dates to give the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg team enough time to review your application. If you are approved for an Inspiration Grant, your travel must take place within the current or next quarter from when you have applied, or be completed by July 1 for graduating students.

For more detailed guidelines, please see the Levy Inspiration Grant Program guide here.

To hear about the experiences of some of our recent student travelers, follow the links below to listen to their stories. The full Levy Inspiration Grant Program podcast is available here. Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite listening platform to stay up-to-date on new episodes!

Recent Stories:

• Sustainability and Ocean Health with Garrett Nastarin
• Restaurant Tech with Tasha Kewalramani
• Mental Health in India with Utkarsh Makkar
• Insect-Based Proteins with Jonny Vaux
• Livestock Production with Audrey Melville and Emily Williams
• Data Analytics and Taxes with Aniket Saoji
• Building a Rum Brand with Kimberley Charles and Kiyan Savar

Applications are currently closed for the 2022-2023 academic year. Applications for late summer and the next academic year will re-open later in the summer.

Kellogg Early-stage Internship Program (KEIP) Stipends

Summer internships with startups provide students the opportunity to ‘test’ entrepreneurship or gain the relevant experience to launch their own company. In order to make these internships financially viable, KEIP provides a limited number of stipends. Through this program, students can apply for a $7K stipend, but must secure a minimum of $5K and a max of $7K in additional compensation from the internship employer. Application requires signed offer letter.

We offer this stipend funding on a first-come, first-served basis over the winter and spring quarters until the available funding has been fully allocated.

While KEIP internships may span a variety of industries and functions, the host company must meet the following criteria:

• Have 150 or fewer employees
• Have annual revenues of $50 million or less
• Defined a project that addresses a high-priority company goal
• Be willing to have the intern work directly for senior management
• Provide between $5K-$7K in total compensation to student intern

Stipends are restricted to current Kellogg students.

Applications for Summer 2023 KEIP stipends are currently closed.

Summer Startup Stipends

The Summer Startup Stipend is intended for students who have business concepts that have been tested to determine that there is a compelling product-market fit. In order to be eligible, students must be committed to working full time on their own ventures over the summer in lieu of another internship or funding opportunity. Students may request up to $10,000 in funding though final decisions will depend on the quality and quantity of the applications received and determined by the committee.

Stipends are restricted to current Kellogg students. In order to be eligible, students must demonstrate involvement with entrepreneurship at Kellogg and significant traction with their venture, be committed to working on their venture over the summer and have a written recommendation by a Northwestern University faculty member.

Students who are eligible for Social Impact funding will be precluded from receiving the Summer Startup Stipend.

Applications for Summer Startup Stipends for Summer 2023 are currently closed.

Entrepreneurship at Kellogg Competition Travel Program

The Entrepreneurship at Kellogg Competition Travel Program helps cover travel expenses, such as economy airfare, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation for students accepted to participate in competitions related to a Kellogg student’s project or venture. The maximum reimbursement amount per person will be determined by the geographic region of the event and available funding, and a maximum of two students per team can be reimbursed for each competition.

To be eligible for reimbursement, a student must request approval from the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg staff at least two weeks in advance of the travel. Prior to the competition, we recommend that students schedule a coaching session from an Entrepreneurship faculty member. Students will be required to complete a feedback survey about their participation in the competition before their reimbursement will be processed.

The maximum reimbursement amount per person will be determined by the geographic region of the competition following the regional breakdown below:

• Midwest - $500
• East Coast and South - $600
• West Coast - $800
• International - $1,200

• APPLY HERE

Heizer Center for Private Equity and Venture Capital

Learn more about programs offered through the Heizer Center, including the Heizer Growth Internship Stipend and Heizer Venture Capital Internship Stipend by visiting their webpage here.

Social Impact at Kellogg

Learn more about programs offered through Social Impact, including their summer internship stipend programs, rolling funding for social impact startups, and other offerings by visiting their webpage here.