E+I External Competitions

Coming Up

TCU Neely Values and Ventures

Deadline for applications: January 16, 2026

Event: April 9-11, 2026

A unique annual competition for undergraduate students around the world to pitch plans for businesses, products or services that make a profit while also benefiting the environment, the community or a specific population. Presented by the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX.

Unique Mission 

The Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures^® Business Plan Competition stands out from other business plan competitions by focusing on for-profit enterprises that specifically impact society in meaningful ways. Plans must demonstrate a societal or environmental need to be filled, as well as the profitability of the business. Check out the TCU Neely Website for more information.

Values-Centered Enterprise Concepts 

A values-centered enterprise assures sustainable prosperity while also supporting the needs of company owners and shareholders, employees and their families, suppliers, customers, communities and the environment. Concepts submitted for this competition should seek to contribute to the health and well-being of specific internal or external stakeholders through its proposed products, services and profits. Examples could include contributions to sustainability, innovations in the health and life sciences, innovations in energy, or opportunities for under-represented groups in business.

Prizes

Huge cash prizes are up for grabs, from a $40,000 grand prize, to $2,500 honorable mentions.

Allegheny College Zingale Big Idea Competition

Deadline:  March 17, 2026  

Competition: April 9-11, 2026 

The 2026 Zingale Big Idea Competition is a student-focused seed-funding business pitch presentation competition. The Annual Competition will award a whopping total of $40,000 in prize money among the student winners. This contest emulates the experiences seen on the popular CNBC broadcast, Shark Tank.

To be eligible to compete in the Zingale Big Idea Competition, all contestants must submit an Executive Summary of a business plan to Chris Allison via email.  The Executive Summary must include an overview of the companies financials, including monthly operating costs, startup costs and at least a 1-year income statement.  A three year outlook is preferable.

Please contact Professor Myer before applying at MyerRR@gcc.edu. Please have the following information ready:

1. Student Name(s)

2. Contact information (phone number)

3. Company Name

4. One sentence description of your idea

Tulane Business Model Competition

Registration Opens: November 11, 2025
Deadline:  January 19, 2026

Competition: TBD

College entrepreneurs with promising startup ventures are invited to enter the annual Tulane Business Model Competition for a chance to win their share of a cash prize. In 2026 the cash award totaled $125,000.

Hosted by the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Tulane’s A. B. Freeman School of Business, this student startup competition is open to teams that include at least one degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student, in a leadership position, from any college or university. The Tulane Business Model Competition seeks early-stage ventures that can demonstrate how they are adapting to their customers’ needs. The contest rewards those who are creating commercially viable ventures through breaking down an idea into a key business model hypothesis, have tested their assumptions with customers, and applied Customer Development/Lean Startup principles to refine the model for improved success. 

For more information, visit the competition page.

e-Fest

Registration Opens: January 7, 2026
Registration Closes: March 1, 2026 (11:59pm PST)

Event: April 23-25, 2026

Undergraduates from around the country are again invited to compete for an appearance at e-Fest®–a 3-day celebration of undergraduate entrepreneurship culminating in the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, where students have the chance to compete for over $215,000 in cash prizes.

For more information, please visit the EIX e-Fest® website

Highlight: 2017 e-Fest

Grove City College Entrepreneurship majors Hannah Vaccaro ’18 and Ross Harrington ’17 earned a spot as finalists with their pitch for PeeWee Packs, a toilet training aid, in the 2017 EIX e-Fest National Business Plan Competition.  Read the press release here.

Deadlines Have Passed

Baylor New Venture

Registration Opens: August 1, 2025
Registration Closes: October 1, 2025 11:59 p.m. (CST)

A Transformative Experience

The John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise will host the 12th annual Baylor New Venture Competition on March 27-28, 2026 at Baylor University’s Foster Campus for Business and Innovation. This business plan and elevator pitch competition showcases collegiate student created, managed and led ventures from across the globe. The competition provides participants with personal and professional development through:

• industry-specific mentorship towards sustainable business plans,
• exclusive access to accomplished experts and fellow innovators,
• and a chance to compete for over $250,000 in cash prizes and vital resources.

Registration for this event is open from August 1- October 1, 2025.

Duquesne University New Venture Challenge

Registration Opens: September 1, 2025
Deadline:  November 15, 2025
Competition: April 18, 2026 

Duquesne University New Venture Challenge is a three-stage business plan competition open to anyone in the Pittsburgh region and beyond.  Entrants should submit a short description of their business idea along with a one-minute video pitch. $3K in cash prizes.  DNVC Committee selects up to 15 semi-finalist teams to advance to Stage II.  Cash and service prizes valued at over $100,000.

For more information, please visit the Duquesne University New Venture Challenge website.