(YFL) 12 Business Plan Competitions for Teens in 2025
Discover 12 exciting business plan competitions for teens in 2025. Empower young entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas and win amazing prizes!
If you’re a teenager interested in business, marketing, or entrepreneurship, joining a business plan competition is an easy way to get started. Business plan competitions give you a chance to test your ideas, build problem-solving skills, and understand how real-world business decisions are made. Whether you’re interested in launching a product, pitching a service, or simply learning how markets work, these events help you work on skills that will come in handy at college.
What is a business plan competition?
A business plan competition is an event where you will be required to present a detailed proposal for a new business idea. These competitions typically ask you to outline the core components of a business—such as the product or service, target market, competitive landscape, revenue model, and marketing strategy. Some competitions also require financial projections or customer validation!
Apart from the experience itself, participating in a business plan competition can be a strong addition to your future applications. Colleges, internship programs, and even scholarship committees value students who take the initiative to work on projects outside the classroom. A good showing in one of these events can make your college SOP or CV stand out.
With that, here are 12 business plan competitions for high school students in 2025!
12 Business Plan Competitions for Teens in 2025
Conrad Challenge
Location: Virtual + Power Pitch Summit in-person, U.S.
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: August – April, and Power Pitch Stage: April 22–25
Application Deadline: August–October
Eligibility: Open to students ages 13–18 working in teams of 2–5 from any country
The Conrad Challenge is a multi-stage competition where you build a business idea to solve a global problem in areas like aerospace, cybersecurity, energy, or health. You start by choosing a category and outlining your idea. Then, you use a Lean Canvas to plan the business model. You also write an Innovation Brief, build a simple website, and record a short pitch video.
If your team is selected as a finalist, you will present your work at the Innovation Summit. You get access to mentors and guides throughout. Finalists compete for scholarships and the Pete Conrad Scholar title during the in-person summit, which also includes expert talks and workshops.
Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition
Location: Virtual
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: Top 100 announcement – April 6; Winners – May 13
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: Open to all high school students worldwide who are 14-18 years old at the time of registration; solo or team participation allowed
The Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition is a virtual business pitch competition for high school students. You will create a new product or service that solves a problem in a market no one is focusing on. You begin by completing a short online course that explains how to come up with original business ideas.
Then, you develop your solution and submit a five-minute video pitch using the provided format. You can enter on your own or with a team. Judges look for new ideas that are practical and clearly explained. There is also a public voting round for a Popular Choice Award.
Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition
Location: Virtual
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: May 12 – August 12
Application Deadline: Submissions accepted until August 12
Eligibility: Open to students age 13 and older; individual entries only
The Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition (CEC) is a global idea-based competition where you propose a business project linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It focuses on early-stage ideas that aim to create social or environmental impact.
The competition has three phases. First, you submit your idea. Then, you complete training and build your plan using the Entrepreneurial Design Canvas. In the final stage, your idea goes through public voting and jury review. You get free access to online courses and planning tools.
Diamond Challenge
Location: Virtual + In-person Finals in Newark, Delaware
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: Submission window opens September 18
Application Deadline: Check format-specific deadlines after registration
Eligibility: Open to high school students ages 14–18 in teams of 2–4 with one adult advisor (21+)
The Diamond Challenge is an international competition for high school students with two tracks: Business Innovation and Social Innovation. You choose to either build a business that earns revenue or create a project that solves a social or environmental issue.
You submit a written concept and a pitch deck. You can compete through a regional event or virtually. If selected, you move to the final round hosted by the University of Delaware or online. All teams get access to pitch-building tools, resources, and feedback. Prize funding totals over Rs 80 lakh across rounds.
Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
Location: Virtual + Global Finale at Wharton School, Philadelphia
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: Trading period: September 29 – December 5; Finale – April 24–25
Application Deadline: September 12
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 9–12; teams of 4–7 with a teacher advisor
The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is a 10-week challenge where you build an investment strategy for a fictional client. You use a virtual simulator with $250,000 to test your ideas, but the goal is not to make the most money. Instead, judges look at your analysis, strategy, and decisions.
You will work in a team with a teacher advisor and submit two reports: one midterm and one final. These explain your investment choices and how they match the client’s goals. The top 50 teams worldwide are invited to pitch their work to judges. The final 10 compete at Wharton.
Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC)
Location: Virtual
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: Preliminary Round – April 12; Final Round – May 17
Application Deadline: March 21
Eligibility: Open to high school students aged 14–18 in teams of 3–8
The Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC) is a 12-hour online competition where you create a business solution for a global social issue. The challenge is announced on the morning of the event, and you submit a two-page plan and a three-minute video by the end of the day.
Your idea must use science or technology and work as a sustainable business. You compete in teams to solve problems in areas like education, welfare, or the environment. Judges look at how creative, clear, and practical your solution is, including your marketing plan and basic financial model. Winners of the first round represent their country in the global finals.
SAGE USA National Competition
Location: Virtual (U.S.-based teams only)
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: Presentation time slots – May 2–16; Results announced May 23
Application Deadline: May 2 (Annual Report submission required)
Eligibility: Open to high school student teams participating in SAGE USA
The SAGE USA National Competition is a national event where high school teams present real businesses they’ve launched to solve a social or environmental problem. You submit a four-page annual report and give a live 13-minute video presentation, followed by a 7-minute Q&A with judges. Your business is judged on impact, innovation, and how clearly you explain your decisions and results.
You must cover how your venture works, what outcomes it achieved, and how it creates change. You can use slides or video, and product demos are allowed but not required. Judges do not review any physical items. Top teams move on to the SAGE World Cup and present to international experts.
DECA Competitive Events
Location: U.S. (local, state, and national levels) + select international chapters
Participation Fee: Free at the competition level (school membership required)
Dates: ICDC Finals held in late April; qualifiers occur throughout the academic year
Application Deadline: Varies by school and district; must be submitted through your DECA advisor.
Eligibility: Open to high school students enrolled at DECA-affiliated schools
DECA’s Competitive Events Program includes several entrepreneurship competitions where you develop and present full business plans. You can choose events like the Entrepreneurship Series, Innovation Plan, or Start-Up Business Plan, each focusing on turning an idea into a structured business proposal.
You work on tasks such as financial forecasting, market research, and building execution plans. Presentations are judged on how realistic, clear, and complete your business model is. To take part, you must be a DECA member through your school. You compete first at the local and state levels. Top teams qualify for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), where you present to industry and education professionals.
World Series of Innovation (WSI)
Location: Virtual
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: September 9 – December 15
Application Deadline: December 15
Eligibility: Open to individuals or teams worldwide, ages 13–24 (Impact League)
The World Series of Innovation (WSI), hosted by Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), is a global online competition where you create a business idea that solves a problem tied to one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. You choose a specific challenge theme like climate change, health equity, or financial literacy, and submit a short written proposal or slide deck.
Your entry should explain the problem, your solution, its social impact, and how it can work as a business. You do not need to submit a full business plan, but your idea must include basic strategy and market reasoning.
You can join as a solo participant or with up to two teammates. Cash prizes of up to Rs 1.25 lakh are awarded to winning teams.
Virtual Business Challenge
Location: Virtual
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: Round One – October 14 to November 8; Round Two – February 3 to February 28; Championship – March 31 to April 4
Application Deadline: Registration opens on October 1
Eligibility: Open to FCCLA high school members; teams must be registered through a school advisor
The Virtual Business Challenge (VBC), run by FCCLA and Knowledge Matters, is an online simulation competition where you manage a virtual business in areas like personal finance or fashion. You make decisions in real time, using data to adjust your strategy and improve performance. You can enter one or both seasonal rounds. The top teams qualify for the National Championship Round held in the spring.
You work within a custom software that gives you control over business operations, and your score updates live based on how well your business performs. You can submit multiple times to improve your rank. Top teams at the national level win up to Rs 85,000 and are recognized at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference.
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Business Plan Competition
Location: Local, state, and national. Finals at FBLA National Leadership Conference
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: Pre-judged report due May 13; presentations at FBLA NLC in late June/early July
Application Deadline: May 13 for the national level
Eligibility: Open to FBLA high school members in teams of 1–3 from the same chapter
The FBLA Business Plan Competition is a national event where high school students in FBLA chapters create and pitch a detailed business plan for a new venture that has not been operating for more than a year. You submit a 17-page written plan and, if you qualify through your state competition, present it live at the National Leadership Conference. The presentation lasts 7 minutes, followed by a 3-minute Q&A with judges.
Your plan must cover operations, marketing, and financial projections. You must research and write everything on your own without external help. Judges look for clear strategy, realistic planning, and strong delivery. Only official FBLA members can compete at the national level, and registration for the conference is required.
tecBRIDGE High School Business Plan Competition
Location: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (live finals); preliminary rounds virtual
Participation Fee: Free
Dates: Final Awards Event – May 1
Application Deadline: Early spring submission of all deliverables
Eligibility: Open to high school student teams with a school-affiliated chaperone
The tecBRIDGE High School Business Plan Competition is a regional competition where high school students submit business proposals that focus on sustainability, scalability, and clear planning. You need to complete three parts: written answers to set questions, simple financial reports (both cash and accrual), and a PowerPoint presentation.
A panel of entrepreneurs and educators reviews the submissions. If selected as a finalist, you will present your plan live at a regional event. You get 10 minutes to present and 10 minutes to answer judges’ questions. Only the materials you submit by the deadline can be used in the finals.
If you’re looking for an incubator program that helps you build a startup in high school, consider the Young Founders Lab!
The Young Founders Lab is a 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 link here!