About this programme
The Summer Accelerator is the flagship program of the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI), housed inside UConn's School of Business. It is an eight-week, in-person entrepreneurial program built to help UConn-affiliated startups launch and grow.
The goal is to equip founders with the skills to bring a product, service, or technology to market. Past participants have gone on to generate revenue, raise funding, and get accepted into national accelerators.
CCEI selects ten startups a year for the cohort. Each gets $15,000 in non-dilutive funding, one-on-one coaching, mentorship, and pro bono legal, accounting, branding, banking, and product-development services.
How it works
The $15,000 fellowship is non-dilutive and is paid out in two halves: one at the start of the program and one at completion.
Of that $15,000, up to $5,000 per startup can be used to pay team members who are current UConn students or 2025 graduates.
The program runs three days a week for eight weeks over the summer, 9am to 3pm, in a hybrid format where two of the three weekly days are held at the Hartford center. The 2026 schedule runs June 1 to July 30 (with a 4th of July break), preceded by an April orientation and closing with an in-person finale.
Five startups from the finale advance to the annual Wolff New Venture Competition, which offers $150,000+ in total funding including a $30,000 grand prize.
Who can apply
At least one founder must be affiliated with UConn as a student, faculty member, staff member, or alumnus.
All founding team members must be available for every scheduled date, including commuting to Hartford one to two days a week.
The startup must be incorporated (LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, or similar) by June of the application year.
CCEI looks for startups with a validated initial target customer segment (through customer discovery or experiments), a scalable solution to a meaningful problem, demonstrated competitive differentiation, and some form of proof of concept, such as a website, MVP, or Figma prototype.
How to apply
- Attend or review the virtual info session (held February 3, 2026 for the 2026 cohort).
- Submit the application before the deadline (February 17, 2026, 11:59pm for the 2026 cohort).
- If selected, participate in virtual Pitch Days (March 2-3, 2026).
- If advanced, attend virtual interviews (March 12-13, 2026).
- Await acceptance notification (March 17, 2026 for the 2026 cohort).
- Attend in-person orientation (April 24, 2026).
- Participate in the eight-week accelerator (June 1 - July 30, 2026) and the in-person finale.
Frequently asked
Do I need to be a current UConn student to apply?
No. At least one founder needs to be UConn-affiliated, which includes current students, faculty, staff, or alumni, not only enrolled students.
How is the $15,000 paid out?
As a non-dilutive fellowship split into two payments, half at the start of the program and half when it's completed.
Can the funding pay my team?
Yes, up to $5,000 of the $15,000 can go toward paying team members who are current UConn students or 2025 graduates.
Is the program remote or in person?
It's hybrid: sessions run three days a week for eight weeks, with two of those three days held in person at the Hartford center.
What happens after the Summer Accelerator ends?
Five startups from the finale advance to the Wolff New Venture Competition, which awards $150,000+ across its cohort including a $30,000 grand prize.
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Reviewed 2026-09-25. Programmes change, so check eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private firm and is not part of any government body.