Accelerate

Arts & Culture
Improving lives and spaces through arts and culture.

Climate & Energy Innovation
Developing innovative solutions for energy efficiency and collective climate action.

Education
Advancing access, readiness, and success for learners of all ages.

Health & Well-being
Promoting the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals and communities.

Social Change
Increasing equity, access, and opportunities.

SEE THE 2025 PRESENTERS, IDEAS + WINNERS >

Eligibility
Anyone with an idea to improve the Greater Cleveland community can apply. Proposed ideas cannot be affiliated with an established organization or business.

Application & Selection
Applicants submit proposals to pitch their idea at the event via an online form, through which you’ll address each of the following areas in 250 words or less.

• A description of the initiative.
• The community issue it addresses.
• How it will benefit the community.
• Why you are passionate about the issue.
• How you will know if the initiative is successful.
• How the prize money would help you achieve your goals.

An independent panel of reviewers selects five from each category to be presented at the event based on:

• Potential for community impact and advancing NE Ohio.
• How unique, creative and innovative the initiative is.
• A realistic implementation plan that would be aided by the prize money.

Those selected have up to five minutes to pitch at the event.

Applications for Accelerate 2026 will be open November 1 – December 5, 2025. 

SEE THE 2025 PRESENTERS, IDEAS + WINNERS >

Teen Accelerate: Student Citizens Make Change is a separate competition at Accelerate hosted by the Young Entrepreneur Institute. Any high school student can apply to pitch an idea that would make a difference in their community.

Ten finalists will be selected from the applicants to pitch at Accelerate on February 20, 2025. The grand prize winner will be announced on the main stage at Accelerate during the final program and will receive $1,000, plus a mentor from a partner organization, the runner-up will receive $500, and the remaining eight finalist teams will win $250. Finalists must pitch at Accelerate on the evening of February 20 to receive their award.

The Young Entrepreneur Institute also awards a separate $2,500 prize to an Accelerate presenter who is an undergraduate college student.

See the 2025 Teen Accelerate presenters + winners >

Technovation is a separate opportunity at Accelerate for innovative, community-driven tech ideas for social good in Cuyahoga County. All Accelerate applicants whose idea includes a technology component can apply to pitch at Technovation in addition to their selected Accelerate category.

Technovation applications are reviewed separately from the Accelerate categories (using the same criteria) and you may be selected to pitch in Technovation and another Accelerate category OR you could be selected to present in Technovation only. If you are selected for Technovation and an Accelerate category, you will be asked to present multiple times at the event.

The Technovation winner receives $3,500.

SEE THE 2025 PRESENTERS, IDEAS + WINNERS >

Past Accelerators from across the event’s eleven-year history will be onsite to share the progress and impact of their visions so far.

In 2018, Tory Coats won Accelerate with his pitch, Dare 2 Believe, to provide teen entrepreneurs with business experience and the opportunity to sell products and services at pop ups across the city. Every year since, they have hosted a pop up at Accelerate. Stop by and support these budding entrepreneurs.

Learn more about the Dare 2 Believe Young Entrepreneur Pop-Up Shops >