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Note: Most competitions included below are held annually, see each link for up-to-date deadlines and eligibility.
Rutgers ScarletPitch – UpitchNJ and Hult Prize are celebrating 10 years in 2025! Check back this fall for details on an exciting new Rutgers-wide competition.
Rice Business Plan Competition – This is the World’s richest and largest graduate-level student startup competition. The 2021 Competition will be announced early in the year. Registration will typically open in mid-May. Add RBPC@rice.edu to your contacts for news, updates, and reminders. The Rice Business Plan Competition takes place in Houston, Texas. $1.5 million in cash and prizes. The application deadline is the end of January. The event is held in April. See key dates here.
TCU’s Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures® Competition – This competition is limited to undergraduate college students; team must have at least 2 members. Ventures submitted must be for-profit, values-centered enterprises. Nonprofit ventures are not allowed. Plans must demonstrate a societal or environmental need to be filled, as well as the profitability of the business. Teams must have a faculty/staff sponsor who will authenticate that the business plan was prepared under faculty supervision or as part of regular university coursework. $100k grand prize. Competition deadline is typically Feb. 1; The event is typically held in March.
UBS Pitch Competition – The UBS Pitch competition is designed to provide students from participating universities an opportunity to use their skills to build innovative solutions to problems faced by the financial industry and government bodies. The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students in the US. Each year the competition focuses on a new challenge and grows with more states participating and exciting opportunities to collaborate! For details, it is recommended that you attend a webinar. These are typically held in early February The registration deadline is also usually in February.
Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge – Undergraduate students in North America are encouraged to form teams and submit their Social Venture pitches for a chance at $250K in Cash Prizes. e-Fest is a 3-day event each April in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship. All finalist teams plus an advisor will receive funds for travel & accommodations. Applications are open Feb. through early March. Competition is typically held in April. Details and sign-ups are here.
FoodTech Challenge – A global business case competition, inviting applications for technologically-driven, sustainable, and viable solutions to advance food security in the UAE. The competition, launched by Tamkeen LLC in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Food Security, is open to anyone, but they are particularly interested in applications from start-ups and students with an interest in food and agriculture technologies. Awarding a total of USD $1M in prize money for four winning teams, including access to seed funding and investors in the UAE. Early submission is typically May, regular submission is typically in June.
Draper Competition for Collegiate Women Entrepreneurs – The Draper Competition is the only national competition specifically spotlighting, supporting and funding UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN founders! In the past, teams competed for $100,000 in cash and in-kind prizes and a $25,000 Grand Prize ; teams were invited to Smith College for the final event and applied in one of the following tracks: product, service, social impact, web/mobile app or general. The competition is being revamped and will be held in Fall 2024. Check the website for details.
The Rutgers Business School Annual Business Plan Competition is a great opportunity to transform your business idea into reality. Get a chance to win total cash prizes worth $50,000.The first step is to send in a 1-page executive summary to Professor Brownstone anytime from early September to mid-December. The earlier you submit, the better. Several executive summaries will be chosen and asked to submit a full business plan per the rules on this site. These business plans will be presented on our pitch day in April. for the $50,000 in prizes. Open to all RBS students. Some restrictions apply for team leadership roles.
New Jersey Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) – Global competition for current undergraduate and graduate students with entrepreneurial minds, a growing business, and a desire to connect, the GSEA Awards offers chosen applicants exposure and networking opportunities with top entrepreneurs in their respective fields. Regional competitions are held in January. Regional finalists have a chance to compete in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards held each Spring. Join the mailing list at the above link to learn more.
TIE New Jersey – TiE Global is a nonprofit venture devoted to entrepreneurs in all industries, at all stages, from incubation, throughout the entrepreneurial lifecycle. With a global reach and a local focus, the heart of TiE efforts lies in its five foundational programs, – Mentoring, Networking, Education, Funding, and Incubation. The NJ organization host events and competitions throughout the year.
New Venture Championship – https://www.futurefounders.com/u-pitch/ – date not announced, sign up for their mailing list