The result of the preliminary round of 1st National Graduate Technological Entrepreneurship Business Plan Contest was announced on July 27 , 2008. 33 teams were qualified for the second round competition.

The event was co-organized by Graduate School of Tsinghua University, School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University and Research Center for Technological Innovation of Tsinghua University. 111 teams from 26 institutions of higher education across the country participated in the preliminary launched on May 25, 2008. 71 teams are from Beijing, including 48 from Tsinghua University, 11 from Peking University, 3 from Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3 fromBeijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and 2 from Beijing University of Chemical Technology. The rest are 40 teams from other regions of the country, including 4 from Shanghai Jiaotong University, 4 from Xiamen University, 4 from Donghua University and 4 from Dalian University of Technology. Their works cover areas including IT, materials, chemistry, new energy, biology, and medical care, etc..

The appraisal session for the preliminary took place on July 27. The appraisal committee consists of 16 experts, chaired by Senior Vice president of Qidi Holdings and Director of Qidi Entrepreneurship Center Ms. Luo Jianbei. Associate Dean of Graduate School of Tsinghua University Gao Celi, and Director of Tsinghua University Research Center for Technological Innovation Wu Guisheng attended a ceremony to launch the appraisal and conferred letters of appointment to each member of the appraisal committee.

33 teams were selected out for the second round of competition after one-day appraisal which involvesindependent appraisal of committee members, group review and committee reconsideration.All the qualified teams need to submit their business plans before September 20. The period of the second round of competition lasts from July 27 to September 27. The defense session of the second round of competition will be held at Tsinghua University around September 27. 6 teams will be selected out for the final.