1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program

Who qualifies

1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program is a foundation program from Kauffman Foundation, open to businesses nationwide, with a published award of Free (no funding). Deadline for 1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program: Rolling — weekly sessions in each community. Present applications accepted at any time; presenters are scheduled 2–6 weeks in advance depending on local waitlist. 1 Million Cups eligibility is judged against 5 published criteria.

• Any entrepreneur or small business owner is eligible to present — no revenue, industry, stage, or demographic requirements
• Business must be operating or in active development (not purely an idea with no execution)
• Presenter must be available to present in person at a local 1MC community session (virtual options are available in some communities)
• Nonprofit and for-profit organizations are both eligible
• No ownership demographics requirements

What it covers

1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program is a foundation program from Kauffman Foundation, open to businesses nationwide, with a published award of Free (no funding). Deadline for 1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program: Rolling — weekly sessions in each community. Present applications accepted at any time; presenters are scheduled 2–6 weeks in advance depending on local waitlist. 1 Million Cups covers 1 categories of eligible expense and excludes 1. No direct funding. 1 Million Cups pays out as a subsidized services. 1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program is listed as active in the GrantCompass catalog as of August 24, 2026. Free founder feedback & community in 160+ cities — that is 1 Million Cups in one line.

How to apply

Applying to 1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program takes 4 steps and about 7 hours in total; the award is Free (no funding) from Kauffman Foundation, open to businesses nationwide. Deadline for 1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program: Rolling — weekly sessions in each community. Present applications accepted at any time; presenters are scheduled 2–6 weeks in advance depending on local waitlist.

1. 1

   Find your local 1MC community

   Visit 1millioncups.com/communities to find a 1MC chapter near you. Communities are active in 160+ cities. If no community exists near you, 1MC also has resources to start one.

   ~0.5 hrs

2. 2

   Submit a presenter application

   Apply to present at 1millioncups.com/present. Provide your name, business name, one-paragraph description, and availability. The local 1MC organizer reviews and schedules you — typically 2–6 weeks in advance.

   ~0.5 hrs

3. 3

   Prepare your 6-minute presentation

   1MC presentations are exactly 6 minutes — practice until you can deliver a clear business overview, current challenge or opportunity, and a specific ask (feedback, introductions, customers) in exactly 6 minutes. No slides required; conversational style preferred.

   ~5 hrs

4. 4

   Present and receive 20 minutes of community Q&A

   Present at your scheduled weekly session. The audience — local business owners, mentors, and community members — asks questions for 20 minutes. Engagement is constructive and focused on helping you. Sessions are typically hosted at a local coffee shop or coworking space.

   ~1 hrs

Deadline & timing

1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program is listed as active in the GrantCompass catalog as of August 24, 2026. Deadline for 1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program: Rolling — weekly sessions in each community. Present applications accepted at any time; presenters are scheduled 2–6 weeks in advance depending on local waitlist. 1 Million Cups — Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Program awards Free (no funding) to businesses nationwide through Kauffman Foundation.

Each 1MC community runs weekly sessions (typically Wednesday mornings at 9 AM). To present, submit a request at 1millioncups.com/present and select your community — you'll be scheduled based on local availability, typically 2–6 weeks out. To attend as an audience member, all sessions are free and open with no registration required in most cities.