Vision Snapshot

Dear Innovator,

Thank you for your interest in working with the Faculty Entrepreneurship Team and for submitting your Pre-proposal for Ignition Award consideration. Additional information about the program can be found on our website.

Pre-proposal Instructions: Vision Snapshot

Your submission should include the completed Innovator Questionnaire as well as this Vision Snapshot (together the “Pre-proposal”).

  • The Vision Snapshot format should be a PDF or a PowerPoint presentation with a maximum size of 10MB.
  • The Vision Snapshot is a short slide deck (10 slides maximum) that introduces the proposed project as a potential commercial opportunity.
  • The slide deck should follow this format, one slide per topic:
    • Title: Project Name and PI
    • Problem: What is the problem or unmet need that your proposed product/service addresses?
    • Market: Who/what has this problem? Who is the paying customer? Why does the problem need to be solved now? Please indicate whether you have spoken with potential customers.
    • Solution: Please clearly describe the proposed product or service to be commercialized. Who will use your product/service?
    • Technology: Please provide a single slide with a high-level overview of the technology enabling the Solution.
    • Competition:What are other solutions available now (on the market) or in development that address the same problem?
    • Differentiation: How does your solution compare to the competition? How is the problem/unmet need not being addressed by solutions currently available?
    • Milestones: Please describe briefly the proposed milestones with emphasis on the milestone(s) achievable within the first 6 months of an award. Please note that an award period is 12 months, but we would like to understand the milestones that could be accomplished within the first 6 months.
    • Team: Please describe the technical and business backgrounds of team members for this project.
    • Commercialization Path: Do you envision the product/service being commercialized via a startup company or licensed to a third party and why?  Have you or a team member formed or plan to form a company to develop and commercialize the proposed product/service? Please indicate any startup activities.
  • The Vision Snapshot is not a business plan. We understand that the innovation may be at the early idea/concept stage. It is fine if you are unable to fully address the topics. We are looking to understand where you are on the innovation-to-impact path.
  • Please highlight the science/technology behind your Solution clearly and concisely with the understanding that most of the reviewers may not be experts in your particular field.
  • Please do not include any additional materials or attachments. The Vision Snapshot should not exceed 10 slides and should not be submitted with any backup slides.
  • The Vision Snapshot file should be saved locally for your records, and then submitted together with the Innovator Questionnaire via pignit@bu.edu. File naming should follow the convention:

PILastName_VisionSnapshot_IA2026.pdf  (Ex: Shockley_VisionSnapshot_IA2026.pdf)

  • Submission of the Pre-proposal is due by 11:59pm on the day listed on the website. Late submissions will not be considered.

Please also look for an announcement of an Information Session to be held in late October/early November.

Information For...

Back to Top