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Startup Incubator Entry

Find founders who fit your incubator by asking about their customer problem, team, early evidence, and the support they need to reach their next milestone.

A ready-to-use applications & memberships form for programmes, clubs, landlords and admissions teams: 15 questions, 3 pages, 3 conditional rules.

Questions
15
Pages
3
Layouts
classic · card
Time to complete
≈ 18 min
Conditional rules
3
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Live preview and test console

This is the real form. Answer it to test the 3 conditional rules — nothing is sent or stored.

Page 1 of 3 — Startup Basics

Tell us what you are building

For distributed teams, list the locations of founders who would attend.

Choose Live product if people outside your team can use it, including a limited pilot.

Startup stage

Every question on this page is currently visible.

Compliance checklist

Ready to publish
  • Payment items priced — passingEvery payment question charges a real amount, so a submission always records a payment.
  • Conditional logic resolves — passingEvery rule points at a question or page that exists in this template.
  • Legal text not required — passingThis template collects neither health nor regulated financial information.
  • Question labels unique — passingLogic and exports address questions by label, so duplicates are ambiguous.

What happens after submit: nothing is stored in this preview. On your own copy, every response triggers an instant email notification and lands in your response dashboard, ready to export or forward.

Happy with it? Take a copy into your workspace — every question, rule and setting comes with it.

Who this template is for

Startup Incubator Entry is built for programmes, clubs, landlords and admissions teams who need to screen applications against the same criteria every time.

  • Programmes, clubs, landlords and admissions teams working in applications & memberships.
  • Teams who need to screen applications against the same criteria every time without writing code or paying for a custom build.
  • Anyone replacing inconsistent applications that can't be compared fairly with one structured record per enquiry.
  • Respondents are applicants and prospective members — the form asks them 15 questions across 3 screens.
  • Mobile-heavy audiences, thanks to the one-question-per-screen card layout.

Why this form is useful

It removes the cost of inconsistent applications that can't be compared fairly and turns each submission into a record your team can act on immediately.

  • 11 questions are required, so submissions arrive complete instead of needing a follow-up email.
  • It collects a verified email address so replies and confirmations land.
  • Conditional logic hides 3 questions until they are relevant — shorter forms convert better than long ones.
  • Splitting the form across 3 pages keeps each screen short and shows respondents how much is left.
  • Every response is stored, searchable and exportable, so nothing depends on one person's inbox.

How to use this template

From copy to live form is a few minutes of work, and every step is reversible.

  1. 1Press “Use this template” — a fresh copy of Startup Incubator Entry lands in your workspace, ready to edit.
  2. 2Rename or delete any question, and change what is required. Nothing here is fixed.
  3. 3Open Notifications and add the email addresses that should be alerted on each submission; add an auto-reply to the respondent if the form collects an email address.
  4. 4Publish it, then either share the link directly or paste the embed snippet into your site — the embedded form resizes to fit and loads no marketing or advertising trackers.
  5. 5Watch responses land in Submissions, where you can filter, label and export them to CSV or PDF.

Logic and conditions blueprint

Exactly how this form behaves as it is answered — 3 conditional rules ship with it.

  • Features advanced show logic: if “Startup stage” is Live product, the form dynamically exposes “Customer evidence”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • Features advanced show logic: if “Program availability” is Limited availability, the form dynamically exposes “Availability constraints”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • Features advanced show logic: if “Previous incubator participation” is Yes, the form dynamically exposes “Previous program and remaining needs”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • All 3 rules are editable in the Logic tab, and the built-in checker warns about rules that contradict each other.

About this template

A useful incubator application separates three questions: Is the startup eligible, does the team understand its customer, and can this program help it make progress? This template keeps those questions distinct so reviewers can compare applications without rewarding the most polished pitch deck. Before opening applications, publish your cohort dates, location requirements, expected time commitment, and selection process beside the form. Replace the commitment choices with your actual attendance expectations. Explain whether idea-stage teams are welcome; the stage question should route applicants, not quietly disqualify them. Ask reviewers to look for a specific customer problem, relevant team experience, and a milestone that fits the program period. Treat customer evidence according to stage: a prototype team may have useful interview notes, while a live product should be able to describe usage and what it has learned. Keep the deck link optional and avoid requesting confidential technical details or customer identities. Use the same review rubric for every application, with a separate eligibility check before qualitative scoring. Assign a second reader to borderline applications and record interview questions rather than unsupported impressions. Test every conditional field before launch, then send applicants a copy of their answers and a clear decision timeline.

What this form asks

Every question is editable — rename it, make it optional, or delete it entirely.

Page 1 — Startup Basics

  • Lead applicant namerequired
  • Contact emailrequired
  • Startup namerequired
  • Team locationrequired
  • Startup stagerequired

Page 2 — Problem and Team

  • Customer problem and proposed solutionrequired
  • Customer evidence
  • Founding team and responsibilitiesrequired
  • Program availabilityrequired
  • Availability constraints

Page 3 — Program Fit

  • Most valuable program supportrequired
  • Milestone for the cohortrequired
  • Pitch deck or demo link
  • Previous incubator participationrequired
  • Previous program and remaining needs

15 questions in total.

Example: A Pilot Team Seeking Customer Discovery Support

This invented application shows a team connecting early pilot feedback to a concrete cohort milestone.

Startup name
Crate Lantern
Startup stage
Live product
Customer problem and proposed solution
Small shared workshops lose track of borrowed tools across shifts. We are testing a mobile checkout log after interviews suggested paper sign-out sheets are often skipped.
Customer evidence
Three workshops used our free pilot during April. Two continued using it weekly; one stopped because checkout took too long. We simplified the flow and are testing it again.
Most valuable program support
Customer discovery
Milestone for the cohort
Determine whether workshop managers will pay for the checkout log by completing ten structured interviews and securing two paid pilot commitments. We need help finding managers outside our existing network.

How the form changes as it's filled in

This template ships with 3 conditional rules, grouped into 3 behaviours driven by 3 questions. Everything below is already set up — edit or delete any rule once the template is in your workspace.

Driven by “Startup stage”

  • Reveals questions

    If “Startup stage” is Live product, the form reveals “Customer evidence”.

Driven by “Program availability”

  • Reveals questions

    If “Program availability” is Limited availability, the form reveals “Availability constraints”.

Driven by “Previous incubator participation”

  • Reveals questions

    If “Previous incubator participation” is Yes, the form reveals “Previous program and remaining needs”.

Set it up step by step

  1. 1

    Publish the commitment before collecting answers

    Place cohort dates, session frequency, delivery format, and eligibility requirements beside the form. Link to that information from the availability question so applicants are not guessing.

  2. 2

    Review evidence in context

    Use stage-specific expectations. Assess idea-stage teams on customer understanding and testable assumptions; assess live products on observed behavior and lessons learned, not revenue alone.

  3. 3

    Score the milestone, not the deck

    Define review criteria for problem clarity, team capability, and program fit before applications open. Read the written answers first and use the optional deck only for supporting context.

  4. 4

    Test the three conditional paths

    Preview an idea-stage application, a live-product application, and one with limited availability and previous participation. Confirm that hidden follow-ups do not prevent submission.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Leaving attendance expectations unpublished while asking founders to confirm availability.
  • Treating a polished deck as stronger evidence than a clear customer problem and a credible experiment.
  • Rejecting previously supported founders without checking whether the current program addresses a different need.

What it pairs with

Most teams don't run this form on its own. These are the forms and systems it sits next to.

What to do with the responses

Send a confirmation with the applicant's answers and your review timeline. Route eligible submissions to reviewers, then use unresolved questions to build a focused interview agenda.

Works in both layouts

Browse classic templatesBrowse card templates

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Frequently asked questions

Can founders apply before they have a product?

Yes, if your incubator accepts idea-stage teams. Keep the Idea or prototype choice and evaluate customer understanding, relevant experience, and a realistic learning milestone rather than expecting product usage.

Should we require a pitch deck?

Keep it optional for an initial application. The structured answers should be enough to assess fit, and a mandatory deck can favor applicants with more pitch support rather than stronger ideas.

How should we handle limited availability?

Use the follow-up to identify specific conflicts, then compare them with your published attendance requirements. Decide in advance which sessions are essential and whether another founder can attend.

Is this suitable for registering accepted founders?

This form supports selection, not onboarding. Use the Membership Registration Form after acceptance to collect the operational details needed for participation without asking founders to repeat their application.

Is the Startup Incubator Entry template free to use?

Yes. You can preview and test Startup Incubator Entry on this page without an account, and take a copy into your own HelloForms workspace on the free plan. There is nothing to install and no card required to publish it.

What does the Startup Incubator Entry template ask for?

It asks 15 questions across 3 pages, 11 of which are required. Every question is listed in full further down this page, and each one can be renamed, reordered, made optional or deleted after you copy the template.

Can I edit the Startup Incubator Entry form after copying it?

Yes — the copy is entirely yours. Change wording, add or remove questions, switch between the classic and card layouts, restyle it to match your brand, and set who gets notified on each submission.

How does the conditional logic in this applications & memberships form work?

3 conditional rules ship with the template: Features advanced show logic: if “Startup stage” is Live product, the form dynamically exposes “Customer evidence”. Otherwise that question never appears. Features advanced show logic: if “Program availability” is Limited availability, the form dynamically exposes “Availability constraints”. Otherwise that question never appears. Features advanced show logic: if “Previous incubator participation” is Yes, the form dynamically exposes “Previous program and remaining needs”. Otherwise that question never appears. All rules are editable in the Logic tab.

Where do responses to the Startup Incubator Entry form go?

Submissions land in your workspace under Submissions, where you can search, filter, label and export them to CSV or PDF. You can also email a notification to your team on every submission and send the respondent an auto-reply.

Can I embed the Startup Incubator Entry form on my own website?

Yes. Publish the form and paste the embed snippet into any page or share the direct link. The embedded form resizes to fit its container and loads no advertising or marketing trackers inside the iframe.

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