RISE Competition Call
Call for applications RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment)
RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment) by U21 is an international competition showcasing student-led achievements and projects focused on sustainability and social innovation. RISE is designed to accelerate the scale and impact of student-led projects by connecting them with a network of experts from academia and industry.
The Vice Rectorate for International Affairs launches this internal call to select the projects that will represent Tecnológico de Monterrey and will subsequently be nominated to the international RISE 2026 competition, composed of students from Universitas 21 member universities.
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BENEFITS
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REQUIREMENTS
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HOW CAN I APPLY?
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EVALUATION COMMITEE
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IMPORTANT DATES
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CONTACT
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PAST EDITION WINNERS
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FAQ
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SELECCIONADOS 2026
What are the benefits?
● Financial support of USD $2,000* for winning projects in the categories: Greatest Impact, Greatest Potential, Most Collaborative, and People’s Choice Award for the most innovative project.
● Recognition through a certificate and an optional LinkedIn recommendation.
● Opportunities to connect with international students working on similar sustainability challenges in different contexts.
● Development of skills and mindset to communicate ideas effectively to an international audience.
● Experience in scaling social entrepreneurship or innovation ideas beyond small-scale local implementation to broader impact.
* If selected as a winner, the team must issue an invoice/receipt to U21 and have a bank account capable of receiving the prize transfer in USD.
The first stage of this call will focus on selecting up to four projects to represent Tecnológico de Monterrey in the international competition:
- Two projects composed exclusively of Tecnológico de Monterrey students.
- Two projects composed of Tecnológico de Monterrey students and students from a U21 member university. The list of consortium members can be consulted here.
Projects selected in this first stage will have the opportunity to benefit from the Incubation and Acceleration Programs of the Entrepreneurship Institute of Tecnológico de Monterrey.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet the following requirements and criteria to apply to this first stage:
Be an undergraduate student from any professional program at Tecnológico de Monterrey.
Be a regularly enrolled student during the February–June 2026 semester.
Not be under any academic or disciplinary probation.
Projects may be individual or team-based, with up to 7 team members.
The project must go beyond theory; the team must have taken concrete actions to turn the idea into reality. However, the project does not need to be a fully developed company or small business.
The project must directly address at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For reference, see examples of previous projects in the RISE Showcase 2024–25.
Each project must submit a single application file including:
Executive Summary (maximum 2 pages) including:
Project name and description
SDG(s) addressed
Project background
Current stage of the project
Results achieved (if applicable)
Vision for future impact
Motivation Letter (maximum 1 page) answering: Why does my project deserve to be selected as a representative of Tecnológico de Monterrey and a winner of the RISE competition?
Curriculum Vitae of each participant (if more than one team member).
Video Pitch (maximum 2 minutes) explaining and complementing the executive summary. The video must be uploaded to YouTube as an unlisted video (free format; no specific template required—just present the project clearly).
All documents must be compiled in the order listed above, in a single PDF file with a maximum size of 10 MB. The file name must follow this format: Project Name (1 word) + SDG number + Campus Example: Sunshine_7_Puebla. Once the file is ready, you must complete the online application form and upload the PDF file.
Application link: Application Form
Applications will be accepted until Friday, March 13, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
Applications will be reviewed by an Evaluation Committee composed of experts from Tecnológico de Monterrey. The Committee will select the projects to be nominated to U21 in accordance with the guidelines established in this call.
Results will be announced no later than March 24, 2026, via the official email account itesmvi@servicios.itesm.mx and on the website: https://tec.mx/es/internacionalizacion/convocatoria-u21
TEC Call – First round
TEC call opening
February 16, 2026
Application deadline
March 13, 2026
Evaluating TEC Committee March 24, 2026
Announcement of selected projects to be nominated March 24, 2026
RISE Call - Finalists Announcements
Preparation of final video for the RISE international competition
March 24 – May 15, 2026
Submission of video to the Vice Rectory for International Affairs
May 15, 2026
Nomination of final projects to U21 by the Vice Rectory for International Affairs
May 18, 2026
Deadline for nominations by universities to U21
May 20, 2026
U21 Workshop for finalists
June 2026
U21 RISE Committee deliberation and announcement of winners
July 2026
For more information about the competition, please visit: RISE Showcase and Awards
For specific questions or information not covered in this document, please contact the Vice Rectorate for International Affairs at: itesmvi@servicios.itesm.mx
PROYECTO DE "MAYOR IMPACTO" EN EL 2022: ADUX
- Video: vimeo.com/687029083
- Nota Conecta: conecta.tec.mx/es/noticias/nacional/educacion
PROYECTO DE "MAYOR IMPACTO" EN EL 2021: PROYECTO 99
- Video: vimeo.com/529300197
- Nota Conecta: conecta.tec.mx/es/noticias/nacional/educacion
What is the first round of the call?
The first round is an internal competition at Tec to identify the three student projects that will participate as finalists at the international level. Applicants must compile a file with the aforementioned requirements and wait for the decision of the Tec de Monterrey Evaluation Committee.
I don’t meet the requirements. Can I still participate?
No. If you don’t meet all the stipulated requirements in full and any documents are missing from the application materials, your application will automatically be rejected.
My team is made up of another seven (7) members. Can we participate with more than seven (7) people?
Yes. If your team is made up of more than 7 members, you can select a maximum of 7 people as team representatives for the nomination.
My project is still an idea and has not yet been developed. Can I participate?
No. The project has to be in the development stage, not just an idea. Positive actions must have been taken to transform the idea into a reality. However, this does not mean that it has to be a large or a small enterprise; consult the attached image for further details.
My project was selected as one of the three representatives of Tec in RISE. What’s the next step? What is the second or finalist round?
If you are a finalist, you can represent Tec de Monterrey in the RISE U21 international competition.
You and your team will have to make a second video of the project and this is the one that will be officially presented in the competition. Finalist projects will receive detailed information on this round later on.
Can I submit my project directly on the U21 RISE competition website?
No. Nomination as a finalist is through Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Vice Rectory for International Affairs. Individual nominations directly to U21 are not permitted either before or after round 1.
If I applied last year, can I apply again?
Yes. It does not matter if you applied by yourself or with a team, you can apply again.
My team has members of students from universities that does not belong to U21, can we participate?
No. Only students from U21 universities can apply. Check HERE which universities are part of U21.
There are going to be a total of four (4) teams selected?
No. There are two (2) vacancies for projects with only Tec students and two (2) other vacaciones for projects conformed by Tec students and students from other universities of U21.
Contact for questions and further information
The Vice Rectory for International Affairs will be able to answer your specific questions or provide any inform itesmvi@servicios.itesm.mx
La Vicerrectoría de Internacionalización agradece a todos los estudiantes que participaron en esta convocatoria y enviaron su expediente.
De acuerdo con la evaluación del comité, nos complace anunciar a los proyectos seleccionados para representar al Tecnológico de Monterrey en el concurso internacional RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment) de U21.
Los proyectos son:
VIME FIBER
Literatura Solidaria
¡Muchas felicidades!
Los representantes de los equipos seleccionados estarán recibiendo un correo de confirmación con recomendaciones y los pasos a seguir para la siguiente fase de nominación al concurso desde la cuenta itesmvi@servicios.itesm.mx