10 High School Pitch Competitions for High School Students
If you’re a high school student looking to refine a specific business concept or gain practical experience in pitching, consider a pitch competition! However, not all business competitions focus on pitching - if you’re interested in taking a look at some of these options, check out our other blog on business competitions!
What are pitch competitions? Why should I participate as a high school student?
Pitch competitions offer you a chance to showcase your business ideas, sharpen your entrepreneurial instinct, and develop essential soft and hard skills required for presenting and communicating a business idea.
These events allow you to turn concepts or ideas into potential business ventures while receiving valuable professional feedback. Participating in pitch competitions can also be a useful addition to your college applications and portfolio, demonstrating initiative and refined problem-solving abilities.
With that, here is a list of 10 high school pitch competitions for high school students:
Genius Olympiad - Business
Registration deadline: May 1
Competition dates: June 9-13
Eligibility: Open to all high school students globally, aged 13-17 (an adult chaperone must accompany students under 17)
Prizes: Top winners will receive gold, silver, or bronze medals, while all finalists are awarded scholarships to the Rochester Institute of Technology, ranging from $10,000-$25,000
Location: Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
Fee: $550 application fee
The GENIUS Olympiad is an international high school competition focusing on environmental issues. In the business category, students must pitch an environmentally beneficial business plan or propose a social responsibility plan for an existing business or industry. The first option is a great choice for those interested in pitch competitions. To apply, submit a business plan (up to 20 pages), and if selected, prepare a 10-minute in-person presentation at the final event.
GENIUS is a moderately selective and prestigious competition, though winning a top award holds more value than being a finalist. You can register by applying directly through the website or securing a spot via an affiliated fair (such as ISEF-affiliated regional fairs).
Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC)
Registration deadline: February 1
Submission deadline: March 21
Competition dates: Preliminary round on April 12, the final round on May 17
Eligibility: High school students aged 14-19 (in teams of 3-8 members)
Prize: Trophy and certificate of achievement
Location: Virtual
Fee: 10,000 yen per team (approximately $67)
The GYEC is a popular global entrepreneurship challenge sponsored by organizations such as KPMG, Nichicon, and Nissin Electric. What makes this competition unique is the time crunch—teams are given just 12 hours, starting at 8 a.m., to develop a business idea addressing a global challenge. The challenge is revealed on the day of the event. The pitch must include a two-page business plan and a three-minute video presentation.
Participants are selected via national editions of the GYEC, while others (including those from the USA and India) must first compete in a preliminary round involving a similar 12-hour challenge. Your pitch will be evaluated based on creativity, finance, market research, and communication. This is an ideal competition for those unable to commit to larger timeframes or attend in-person events.
The Conrad Challenge
Registration deadline: January 10
Competition dates: April 22-25
Eligibility: Open to all high school students aged 13-18 (students must work in teams of 2-5 members)
Prize: The top teams will be named Pete Conrad Scholars and receive awards such as scholarships, pro bono legal and consulting services, and Dell Latitude laptops. Additional prizes are also available for other finalists.
Location: Virtual and in-person, with the final summit held at Space Center Houston, Texas
Fee: $499 per team
The Conrad Challenge is a pitch competition for those interested in specific fields, including aerospace and aviation, energy and environment, cyber technology and security, and health and nutrition. The competition is structured into four main stages. The first two involve forming a team and brainstorming ideas using the Lean Canvas tool. In the third stage, you’ll develop your idea into a written brief, a video, and a website. High-scoring teams will be selected for the final stage, where they will pitch their innovations at the Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit in Houston.
This prestigious competition has a large pool of participants and partnerships with leading institutions such as MIT, making it a solid addition to your portfolio and resume. It is important to note that the competition focuses on the pitch and the entrepreneurial process.
The Diamond Challenge
Registration deadline: January 16
Competition dates: Early January to late February, followed by a 3-day summit from April 25–April 27
Eligibility: Open to high school students worldwide, aged 14-18. Teams of 2-4 students must have one adult advisor who will serve as the point of contact for the team.
Prize: $12,000 for 1st place, $8,000 for 2nd place, and $4,500 for 3rd place
Location: Initial rounds take place virtually, with the final summit held at the University of Delaware, Delaware
Fee: None
The Diamond Challenge is a global competition hosted by the Horn Entrepreneurship program at the University of Delaware. You can choose between Business Innovation (focused on solving a customer problem and generating profit) or Social Innovation (concentrating on solving a social issue and creating a positive impact). The competition includes an initial submission round with a written narrative and a 60-second video. Following that, there’s a pitching round, where teams can attend live or submit a pre-recorded video. The final round occurs at the summit, which involves a 5-minute pitch and a 3-minute Q&A session.
As a large-scale competition with numerous sponsors and a low selectivity rate, the Diamond Challenge is considered prestigious and can significantly enhance your profile should you win it. However, it does require a more significant time commitment than the other contests on the list.
Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition
Registration deadline: Registrations are currently open
Competition dates: The deadline for submission of the pitch is usually February 16
Eligibility: Open to high school students worldwide aged 14-18
Prizes: $1,000 for 1st place, $750 for 2nd place, $500 for 3rd place, $750 for the People’s Choice Award, plus regional prizes
Location: Virtual
Fee: None
The Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition, organized by the Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneurs Corporation (a non-profit), is one of the most popular pitch contests for high school students. Thousands of students worldwide compete in this virtual event for cash prizes. Either individually or in teams of up to five, you must develop a business idea that addresses a real-world problem and present it through a 5-minute video pitch. To prepare, you must complete a brief course on business strategy and utilize Blue Ocean tools related to the industry landscape, target audience, and strategy in your pitch.
This competition is a great way to sharpen your creativity, problem-solving, and strategic thinking. Blue Ocean also publishes great resources on entrepreneurship, strategy, and creative thinking - you can check them out on the Blue Ocean website.
Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
Registration deadline: September 13
Competition dates: Between September 30 and April 26
Eligibility: High school students
Location: Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania
Fee: None
The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is a free, hands-on investment challenge designed for high school students (9th to 12th grade) and teachers. You will form teams of four to seven members, with a teacher acting as their advisor, and use an online stock market simulator.
Teams are presented with a short case study about a potential client (an actual Wharton graduate working in business) and must work together to create a strategy that aligns with the client’s long-term investment goal.
Unlike other pitch competitions, this one evaluates teams based on the quality and articulation of their strategies rather than the growth of their portfolios. After reviewing the final reports, 50 semifinalist teams are chosen and invited to present their strategy to expert judges during the virtual Semifinals. The top 10 teams from the Semifinals will compete in the Global Finale at Wharton in Philadelphia.
Modeling The Future Challenge
Registration deadline: November 10
Competition dates: Between November and May
Eligibility: High school students all over the world can apply. More details here.
Prizes: $60,000
Location: Various locations
Fee: Free
The Modeling the Future Challenge is a competition for high school students that combines math modeling, data analysis, and risk management. In this challenge, students conduct their research projects by modeling real-world data to assess risks and provide recommendations to businesses, industry groups, governments, or organizations.
It’s a great opportunity to test your critical thinking, mathematical reasoning, and analytical abilities. Plus, you’ll have the chance to win a share of $60,000 in scholarship prizes. To qualify for this challenge, teams must address a qualifying scenario during the competition's qualifying period (see the "Timeline" page for specific dates). The scenario includes a real-world dataset and consists of four levels of questions: (1) basic statistics and probability, (2) trend projection, (3) risk analysis, and (4) critical thinking recommendations.
The Wisconsin High School Business Model Competition
Registration deadline: The competition was not hosted in 2024; dates for the current edition are TBD
Competition dates: The competition was not hosted in 2024; dates for the current edition TBD
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Wisconsin, individually or in teams of up to 3 participants.
Prizes: Upto $8,000 in scholarships to UW Oshkosh.
Location: University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Fee: Free
The Wisconsin High School Business Model Competition invites high school students (sophomores, juniors, and seniors) from Wisconsin to pitch business ideas that address real-world problems. Teams of up to three participants can compete for scholarships and cash prizes, with awards up to $8,000 for first place. Those who are finalists present a 4-minute pitch at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, followed by a 2-minute Q&A. In the past, previous winning ideas have included innovative product designs and sustainability-focused businesses. The event is free to enter.
For more details, visit the official page.
Pirates Pitch Competition for High School Students
Registration deadline: Falls between August to October each year
Competition dates: Usually held in November each year
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0
Prizes: Upto $2,500 in cash prizes and $10,000 in scholarship money
Location: Seton Hall University, New Jersey
Fee: Free
The Pirates Pitch Competition invites high school students to submit a 350-word pitch for an innovative business idea. Alternatively, you can share details of a business you've already started. You can also submit a link to a three-minute unlisted YouTube video pitch, ensuring it's publicly accessible for judging. In your pitch, answer the following: What problem does your product or service solve? How will you generate revenue? Who are your customers, and why will they buy from you? What is your competition, and how will you outperform them?
The competition will select ten finalists to present their ideas at Seton Hall University. They will give a five-minute pitch followed by a Q&A session. The final results are based on written and oral presentations judged by faculty and alumni. Past winners have included a non-profit and a cybersecurity firm.
TiE Young Entrepreneur (TYE) Global Entrepreneurship Competition
Competition dates: Between June 19-21
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Prize: Varies by region (up to $10,000 available in the USA)
Location: TiE operates globally with chapters in Canada, the USA, Asia, and Australia
Fee: Varies by region (typically between $500-$2,000 in the USA)
This program offers workshops and learning opportunities focused on entrepreneurship, ultimately leading to the TYE Global Entrepreneurship Competition.
During the competition, teams pitch their ideas with a one-minute elevator pitch, a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation, a five-minute Q&A session, and a four-minute transition period. To reach the global stage, teams must first compete at the regional level.
The judging criteria include customer validation, business model, execution, teamwork, and presentation. TYE is a great option for students seeking both an educational experience and a competitive challenge.
Interested in building on a business idea above? Consider applying to The Young Founders Lab - an elite incubator for high school students!
The Young Founders Lab is a real-world start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.
You can access the application linkhere!