The China International College Students’ Innovation Competition (CICSIC) is dedicated to promoting international exchange and collaboration in innovation and entrepreneurship. As a global platform for college students to showcase their innovative practices, CICSIC has become one of the largest innovation competitions worldwide. Since 2017, CICSIC has welcomed over 40,000 projects and 130,000 students from more than 150 countries and regions. This year, we are thrilled to host the CICSIC 2025 Grand Final in Zhengzhou, China. We sincerely invite outstanding young minds from across the globe to participate and join us in realizing your innovative dreams and creating a brighter future together.
I. Entry Requirements
1. Projects should address societal needs, create innovative products and business models, and contribute to the advancement of key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, energy, and environmental protection. Projects promoting the integration of digital technologies with education, healthcare, transportation, finance, and cultural exchange are also encouraged. For specific guidance on project suitability, please consult with Zhengzhou University or the designated international co-organizing partner for your region.
2. Projects must be ethical, legal, and comply with all applicable laws and regulations. All inventions, patented technologies, and resources utilized must be accompanied by the necessary intellectual property and proprietary rights. Submission of plagiarized or infringing work will result in immediate disqualification, forfeiture of any awards, and full legal liability.
3. Entrants must select the appropriate category for their project and submit accurate and complete entry materials through the official registration system by the specified deadline. Projects that have previously received a Gold or Silver Award in CICSIC are ineligible. 4. Entrants must be under 35 years of age (born after March 1, 1990).
II. How to participate
The Competition only accepts only team entries. Teams must consist of 2 to 15 members, including a designated team leader. Teams may be composed of students from multiple colleges. All team members must be core contributors to the project.
Team members must be currently enrolled students at a non-Chinese institution of higher education or have graduated from such an institution within the past five years (i.e., after 2020). The team leader must submit the application on behalf of the team. A team can represent only one institution, which must be the institution where the team leader is currently enrolled or from which they graduated. A "non-Chinese institution" refers to a university or vocational school located outside the People's Republic of China that is accredited to provide tertiary education and award degrees. An "enrolled student" is defined as a student officially registered and studying at a non-Chinese institution, pursuing a degree or diploma.
Projects will be categorized based on the team leader's academic status (Undergraduate or Postgraduate) and the project's stage of development (Idea Stage or Startup Stage). Institutions are responsible for guiding their teams to select the correct category during registration.
The specific entry requirements are as follows:
(I) Undergraduate
1. Idea Group. Projects should demonstrate strong creativity and a well-developed product prototype or service model, and must not have completed any business registration (including industrial and commercial) before April 26, 2025. The applicant, acting as project leader, and all team members must be currently enrolled undergraduate or associate degree students.
2. Startup Group. Projects must have completed all necessary business registrations (including industrial and commercial) before April 26, 2025. The applicant must be the project leader and the legal representative of the registered company, and must be either a currently enrolled undergraduate or associate degree student, or have graduated from an undergraduate or associate degree program within the past five years.
(II) Postgraduate
1. Idea Group. Projects should demonstrate strong creativity and a well-developed product prototype or service model, and must not have completed any business registration (including industrial and commercial) before April 26, 2025. The applicant must be the team leader and a currently enrolled postgraduate student. Team members can be currently enrolled postgraduate, undergraduate, or associate degree students.
2. Startup Group. Projects must have completed all necessary business registrations (including industrial and commercial) before April 26, 2025. The applicant must be the project leader and the legal representative of the participating company, and must be either a currently enrolled postgraduate student or a postgraduate degree holder who graduated within the past five years.
III. Competition Rules
International entries will be evaluated alongside entries from Chinese mainland as well as Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions of China, but ranked separately. The Competition consists of three stages:
1. Eligibility review (July 16th - July 31st, 2025).The organizing committee will review all submitted materials from international participants to ensure completeness and adherence to eligibility requirements.
2. Online evaluation (August 1st - August 15th, 2025).Qualified entries will undergo multiple rounds of online evaluation, culminating in the selection of finalists.
3. On-site competition (September 2025).Exceptional projects selected during the evaluation will advance to the final round. If participation in the on-site competition is not possible, finalists may participate via online presentation.
IV. Awards
For international participants, 500 projects will be shortlisted for the final round. The top 150 projects will advance to the final on-site competition, vying for 50 Gold Awards, 100 Silver Awards, and 350 Bronze Awards.
V. Registration
1. Register online at https://www.pilcchina.org/, the official website for the Promotion Association for Global Youth Innovation Leaders Community (PILC). Registration opens at 0:00 on June 16, 2025 and closes at 24:00 on July 15, 2025 (China Standard Time, UTC+8).
2. Submit your business plan in PPT format. You may also include supplementary materials, such as a Word document or a 1-minute video. Please convert your business plan into PDF format prior to uploading.
3. All team members must submit proof of their student status (current enrollment or graduation certificate) or shareholder status, as applicable, by the registration deadline. Teams with mentors should provide their mentor's information during registration.
4. All submitted materials and presentations should be in either Chinese or English. Contact the organizing committee for guidance if another language is required.
VI. Judging Rules and Criteria
For detailed information on the Competition's judging rules and criteria, please visit https://cy.ncss.cn or https://www.pilcchina.org/.
VII. Other
The final interpretation of the terms and conditions outlined in this Annex rests with the Organizing Committee of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition (CICSIC).
VIII. Contact Information
1. Promotion Association for Global Youth Innovation Leaders Community (PILC) - Fan Zhi
Telephone: 0086-13581973690
Email: info@pilcchina.org
Address: Building 28, Teli Aosen International Sports and Culture Center, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
Postal Code: 100101
2. Student Service and Quality Development Center, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China - Qu Chen
Telephone: 0086-10-68352281
Email: jybdcw@chsi.com.cn
Address: Tower C3, Jinmao Tower, No.18 Xizhimenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
Postal Code: 100044
3. Office of International Affairs, Zhengzhou University - Liu Shengli
Telephone: 0086-371-67780026
Email: fao@zzu.edu.cn
Address: No.100 Kexue Road, High-tech Zone, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
Postal Code: 450001
4. Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China - Chen Hongjie
Telephone: 0086-10-66097854
Email: internetplus@moe.edu.cn
Address: No.37, Damucanghutong, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
Postal Code: 100816
Organizing Committee of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition (CICSIC)
May 9, 2025
[Official Seal of the Organizing Committee of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition (CICSIC)
