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Business competitions for students under 18

Business competitions ask for an idea plus the evidence behind it. Pitch contests (Diamond Challenge, Conrad Challenge) want a venture concept with real customer research. Career-organisation events (DECA, FBLA, BPA) run hundreds of role-play and written events through a school chapter. Finance simulations let you trade a virtual portfolio against other schools.

20 in this category · 12 free to enter · 15 available online

Business Blue Ocean Competition A fully online entrepreneurship pitch competition with no written business plan required.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatEither
WhereOnline

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Business Business Professionals of America Competitive events in business, IT, digital media and management, with a strong technical event list.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$20 to $1,500
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

80 days left

Business Conrad Challenge A year-long innovation competition where teams build a product and a business around a real global problem.

Grades6 to 12
CostFree to $499
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

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Business DECA Hundreds of role-play and written business events, competed through a school chapter up to an international conference.

Grades9 to 12
Cost$20 to $600
FormatEither
WhereIn person

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Business Diamond Challenge Pitch a business or social venture concept against teams from more than a hundred countries, for a prize pool above $100,000.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

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Business FBLA More than seventy competitive events in business, technology and finance, competed through a school chapter.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$20 to $600
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

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Business Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge A twelve-hour online startup sprint: the problem is revealed on the day and you pitch by the end of it.

Grades9 to 12
CostNot confirmed
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

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Business Harrington Foundation Accelerator A free eight-week virtual accelerator ending in a live pitch, with real investment for the winner.

Grades7 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

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Engineering Invention Convention Invent something that solves a real problem, document the process, and pitch it like an inventor.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree to $100
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereIn person

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Business InvestWrite A free national essay competition on investing, judged on reasoning rather than returns.

Grades4 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

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Math Modeling the Future Challenge Analyse a real dataset, quantify a risk, and make a recommendation, mentored by a working actuary.

Grades11 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

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Business National Economics Challenge The only national economics competition for United States high school students, run in two divisions.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

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Business National Personal Finance Challenge A team competition on earning, spending, saving, investing and managing credit, free to enter.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

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Scholarships and challenges Prudential Emerging Visionaries Awards for young people using financial or social innovation to solve a problem in their community.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatIndividual
WhereOnline

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Engineering STEM Racing (formerly F1 in Schools) Design, manufacture and race a miniature air-powered car, and run the team like a racing outfit. Rebranded from F1 in Schools to STEM Racing in 2024.

Grades6 to 12
Cost$200 to $3,000
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereIn person

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Coding Technovation Girls A free global season where girls aged 8 to 18 build an app or AI project and pitch it as a venture.

Grades3 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

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Environment The Earth Prize A global environmental sustainability competition for teenagers, free to enter, with a substantial prize pool.

Grades7 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

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Engineering The Paradigm Challenge Solve a real social problem however you like, from age four upward, with a large prize pool.

Grades1 to 12
CostFree
StructureDivisions by grade or level
FormatEither
WhereOnline

231 days left

Business The Stock Market Game Manage a virtual $100,000 portfolio against other school teams over a full trading season.

Grades4 to 12
CostFree to $30
FormatTeam
WhereOnline

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Business Wharton Investment Competition Manage a virtual portfolio for a fictional client and defend your strategy to Wharton judges.

Grades9 to 12
CostFree
FormatTeam
WhereBoth

27 days left

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