Entrepreneurship Hatchery & Incubator

Our first round of TechFest Program was a resounding success. Now second round of applications are open for TechFest Program and Exhibition. Selected students will be awarded $500 seed funding.

What is the BCC CUNY Hatchery and Incubator?

The BCC CUNY Hatchery and Incubator facilitates breeding of technology-based products and services, hatching and rearing of new technology based businesses through the early life stages of businesses.

It makes entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills accessible and relevant for our STEM students to help them build thriving companies and careers learn by doing, gaining knowledge and critical skills to help them succeed as technology solution providers as well as problem solvers.

Student entrepreneurs are encouraged and mentored to generate innovative and forward-thinking product and service ideas, explore viable opportunities and markets, learn to deliver compelling elevator pitches, and develop viable business plans.

Goals
TechFest
Entrepreneurship Club
News & Events
Contact Us

Goals

The Goals of the BCC CUNY Hatchery and Incubator are:

Mentor student projects, ideas, experiments, and prototypes
Train and equip students of BCC with technology entrepreneurship competencies that will help them become leaders of tomorrow’s America
Increase retention, graduation, and transfer rates of STEM students by engaging them in real world applications of the technology concepts
Enhance experience, and exposure through technology entrepreneurship programming, to create clear career pathways in STEM fields through internships and entrepreneurship opportunities

NYSOP page image - students walking on the BCC campus

TechFest

TechFest is Bronx Community College’s annual showcase for sustainability‑focused STEM innovations, giving students the opportunity to turn their ideas into real, marketable products or services.

Through the TechFest program, up to 20 student entrepreneurs will be selected to receive $500 in seed funding upon successful completion of the required workshops and participation in the exhibition. TechFest highlights projects that combine creativity with practical application, supporting students who are developing sustainability-based STEM products, business concepts, or prototypes.

Are you interested in a seed funding for your new business? Join the program to turn your innovative idea into a real product or service.

Apply to TechFest

Eligibility Criteria

You must be a current student of BCC or a BCC student who graduated in the last one year.
Your idea can be a sustainability focused science, technology (including IT, web applications, and design technology), engineering, or math based student project or experiment.
Both individual and team projects are eligible.

Program Requirements

1. Participate in all the following bootcamps/workshops in:
  - sustainability bootcamp and ideation work
  - entrepreneurship bootcamp and workshops
  - softskills workshops
  - prototyping workshops
2. Attend all mentorship meetings
3. Complete project charts or designs or functional prototypes under the guidance of your mentors
4. Participate in the mock presentation of your project ideas
5. Participate in the tech-fest exhibition that will be open to the whole college and CUNY Community. Angel investors, incubators in NYC, mentors, and Bronx based businesses will be invited to the exhibition.

Important Dates

02/06/2026: Last date to submit your application form.
02/13/2026 : Communication of acceptance.
02/20/2026 : Inauguration : Sustainability boot camp & Idea development Workshop (10:00am to 1:00 pm)
02/27/2026 : Entrepreneurship boot camp & Lab visit – Elevator pitch (10:00am to 1:00 pm)
03/13/2026 : Soft skills workshop for elevator pitch and customer discovery interviews
03/27/2026 : Product concept workshop – Lab work
04/03/2026 : Prototyping workshop – Lab work
04/17/2026 : Mock presentation of product and prototype design
05/01/2026 : TechFest 2026 – Final exhibition.

* These sessions may be in person or on zoom.

Takeaways

$500 seed grant funding
Certificate of excellence in Sustainability focused STEM application projects
Internship, part-time job opportunities, and career pathways in STEM and Sustainability fields.
Incubation and accelerator opportunities in CUNY and NY based incubators
Potential angel funding and crowd funding opportunities
Non-participant students learn about new ideas, their applications and opportunities open to them

Entrepreneurship Club

Submit your 60-second video explaining your idea for an opportunity to win $10,000.

It’s really that easy! The CUNY Clash competition invites students from across the CUNY network to bring their creative and innovative business ideas to life.

If you’re currently a CUNY student and have an idea that addresses a unique problem or challenge, you could compete for cash prizes, with a Grand Prize of $10,000 up for grabs.

Applying is super easy. Just upload a 60 – 90 second video explaining your idea and fill out a short form. No idea is too big or small, so even small ideas can have a meaningful impact. Refer to the application deadlines!