Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition 2027

The 13th Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC) is a deep-tech startup pitch competition run by the Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE) at Singapore Management University (SMU). It is built for student and recent-graduate founders working on urban and sustainability problems, and it carries a prize pool of over S$2.5 million (about ₹17.5 crore). Applications are open now, free of charge, and close on 31 March 2027.

What the program offers

Prizes of more than S$2.5 million are awarded on stage at the Grand Finals in Singapore. SMU describes the prizes as a mix of cash, investment, grants and professional services, so not every prize is a cash payout and the split for the 13th edition is not published on the pages we reviewed. Fifty finalists are flown to Singapore for the Grand Finals Week, which includes an Innovation Festival with investor engagement, mentorship and meetings with corporate partners. Finalists are matched with industry mentors in the months before the event, and they can apply to SMU's Urban SustaInnovator accelerator, which gives access to pilots and partnerships and to a US$10 million fund SMU launched in May 2026. Check the official prize list once it is published.

Who can apply

The competition is open to startups with at least one founder who is currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate programme at any university in the world, or who graduated within the past five years. Teams enter in one of two tracks and one of 12 focus areas, which include climate tech, energy, food and land use, urban mobility, longevity and healthtech, and sustainable materials and circularity. For an Indian applicant this means a startup with a student or recent-graduate founder from any Indian or foreign university can apply online from India. It suits deep-tech and science-based teams. It does not suit founders who finished their studies more than five years ago, or companies with no link to urban or sustainability challenges.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online with no fee between 27 October 2026 and 31 March 2027. SMU offers an early-bird deadline of 31 January 2027 for a chance to win extra perks. The application is made through the competition website of SMU IIE. A practical tip: prepare a short description of your technology, your team's university links, the problem you solve and how a Singapore or Asian pilot could work, because the competition stresses real-world deployment.

How applications are judged and what happens next

Fifty finalists across the two tracks are shortlisted between April and June 2027 and announced in July 2027. They are then paired with mentors. The Grand Finals Week runs from 28 September to 1 October 2027 in Singapore, with pitches in category finals, then eight teams advancing to the main stage where winners are announced live. SMU says an international panel of judges and partners selects the finalists, and in the last edition it used an AI screening step to help assess entries.

About SMU and its Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Singapore Management University founded the competition in 2002 and named it after Singapore's founding Prime Minister. It is held every two years and is one of the largest university-led startup competitions in Asia. The 12th edition in 2025 drew more than 1,500 entries from over 1,200 universities in 91 countries. SMU IIE also runs the Urban SustaInnovator accelerator and the USI Fund.

Things to check before you apply

Finalists must be in Singapore for the Grand Finals Week, and the pitches are live. SMU states that finalists are flown to Singapore, but the pages we reviewed do not list hotel, visa or meal cover, so confirm these with the organiser. Because some prizes are investment rather than cash, read the terms attached to each prize before accepting. Indian recipients of foreign prize money should check tax and FEMA treatment with an adviser. The 13th edition is the next one, and the competition is held every two years.