The Make It Happen Challenge, presented by the University of Delaware's MakerGym and Horn Entrepreneurship, is an academic year-long design competition from mid-fall through May that provides up to a $3,000 grant for makers with innovative ideas.

The Challenge offers UD students from all backgrounds and disciplines a chance to bring their ideas to life. The challenge helps to determine your idea’s feasibility through ideation, proof of concept, prototyping or small batch production. Acceptance into the challenge provides financial support, training, tools, materials, mentoring and access to the UD’s Maker network of over a dozen spaces.

Students are asked to submit a proposal of their idea by Friday Oct. 29, and then pitch their idea virtually on Nov. 5, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., to determine funding status. Program details and information on the participants from spring 2021 can be found on the MakerGym website.

The MakerGym is located in the rear of Pearson Hall with its door facing the Student Services Building on Lovett Avenue. The MakerGym is open for in-person and hybrid learning. Brooks Twilley, operations manager for the MakerGym, said, “It is like a grand opening, and we are glad to welcome students back in person.”