15 Business Awards for High School Students
If business is something you want to explore further, either in college or through a future venture, applying for business awards in high school can be a great choice. Awards help you to think like a businessman.
What do business awards for high school students involve?
You choose a problem, design a solution, and explain how it might work in the real world. Most business awards try to stay accessible. They don’t involve heavy travel, keep entry fees minimal, and many accept online submissions. You can participate from home, which means location doesn’t decide who gets access. That makes them a practical option for students trying to build experience early.
Why pursue business awards for high school students?
Winning, or even reaching the shortlist, gives you something solid to show colleges. It indicates that your work has been evaluated by people outside the school, which adds credibility. It also helps you connect with peers and mentors who care about similar ideas. They teach you skills that are useful long before you start a company.
If you’re also interested in business plan competitions for high school students, you can go here.
Here are 15 business awards you can explore as a high school student!
Disclaimer: Few of the items below are business programs that will help you acquire the skills to excel at business awards.
15 Business Awards for High School Students
1. Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free to enter. Cash prizes included
Dates: February 22 - May 13
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school students around the world
Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition asks you to build a business idea that avoids crowded markets and solves a problem in a new way, which is a useful marketing mindset. You create a short video pitch that explains your idea, your audience, and why your solution stands out. Judges review your pitch and give feedback that pushes you to refine your message and sharpen how you present value, something that mirrors basic brand positioning. Finalists receive online recognition, certificates, and cash prizes, and your project gets visibility among a global audience of students, mentors, and entrepreneurship educators.
2. Diamond Challenge
Location: Hybrid format; Online submission and pitch rounds, with finalist events at the University of Delaware in Newark, DE
Cost: Free. $100K prize pool
Dates: September 17 - April 24
Application Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: Teams must consist of 2-4 high school students aged 14-18 at the submission deadline. Each team is required to have one adult advisor aged 21 or older. While multiple advisors are allowed, only one can be included in the official team submission.
Through this global entrepreneurship competition for high school students, you will spend several months developing a business or social venture that solves a real problem. You will work in a small team to study your target audience, test assumptions, and build a clear business model while learning research, planning, and pitching skills. You will submit a written concept, a pitch deck, and a short video for judges to review. Finalists will attend the Limitless World Summit at the University of Delaware, where they will present their work, join workshops, and meet mentors and peers.
3. Young Founder’s Lab
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies by the program; Financial aid available
Dates: Varies according to the program cohort, including summer, fall, winter & spring
Application Deadline: Varies according to the program type
Eligibility: High school students
The Young Founder’s 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 complex problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X. Apart from building the start-up itself, you will also participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies by the program; Financial aid available
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is an eight-week virtual program where you join a fast-growing start-up and work on projects as part of a small team. You could land in areas like tech, AI, health, marketing, journalism, or consulting, depending on your interests. You work directly with a manager and a Ladder coach, so you get steady guidance while learning how start-ups actually operate. Along the way, you develop practical skills in communication and time management through one-on-one coaching and group sessions with other interns. By the end, you’ll have contributed to actual company work and presented your results, which gives you early experience in a professional setting.
5. Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
Location: Online worldwide; Virtual with the Global Finale at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Free
Dates: June 30 - April 25
Application Deadline: September 12
Eligibility: High school students (9th to 12th grade) around the world
Wharton has built a long history around finance education, and this competition puts you inside that world for a few months. You join a small team and try to make smart decisions with a virtual half-million dollars based on a real client brief. Most of the work is research and figuring out why one company or sector makes more sense than another, then putting that reasoning into written reports that judges actually read. Teams that do well move to an online round, and the strongest groups end up presenting their strategy at Wharton.
6. Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition
Location: Online
Cost: Free to enter; No cash prizes, but an official certificate and placement are included
Dates: March 2 to June 5
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open worldwide to entrepreneurs above the age of 13
Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition is an international platform where you develop a business or social impact idea tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and learn to present it to a global audience in a clear, persuasive way. You upload your project, get comments from peers, and refine your pitch through online training and the Entrepreneurial Design Canvas, which teaches you how to communicate value and target a specific audience. Your idea goes through public voting and a jury review, so you learn how visibility and messaging shape interest in a project. Finalists receive certificates, online recognition, and invitations to present, which helps you build early proof of your communication and marketing abilities.
7. The BIG Idea Competition
Location: Primarily virtual; Based in South Dakota with online submissions and a live final event hosted by BIG Idea SD, historically tied to Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD
Cost: Free. Cash prizes and scholarships included
Dates: October 31 - December 9
Application Deadline: October 24
Eligibility: U.S. high school students (grades 9–12 or equivalent)
The BIG Idea Competition asks you to develop a venture idea during the fall and turn it into a short written business plan that explains your market, customers, costs, and revenue in a clear and convincing way. You also record a brief elevator-pitch video, which forces you to communicate your idea in plain language, much like early-stage founders pitching to investors. Judges provide written feedback on every submission, and finalists present live at a virtual awards event, giving you a first taste of how marketing, messaging, and audience understanding shape whether an idea gets attention.
8. The Harvard Crimson Business Competition
Location: Preliminary round online, championship round on Harvard University’s campus in Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free. Awards are included
Dates: May – June
Application Deadline: April
Eligibility: High school students globally
Harvard has been a center of student business activity for decades, and the Crimson Business Competition taps straight into that culture. You pick one of the set challenge areas and build a venture around it, showing how the idea could actually work in a real market. First, you submit a plan and a slide deck online, where judges take a close look at your thinking and structure. Finalists head to campus for live sessions that include mentoring and workshops, then make their pitch in front of a panel at Harvard.
9. GENIUS Entrepreneurship
Location: Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester, New York, USA; international finals held on campus after online project submission
Cost: $50 application fee per project + $600 participation fee per participant
Dates: June 8-12
Application Deadline: April 16
Eligibility: Students in grades 8–12 (or equivalent) from any country
In this entrepreneurship track of the GENIUS Olympiad, you will create a business project that addresses an environmental or social challenge through a practical product or service. You will prepare a full business plan, analyze markets, and outline cost and revenue models while building skills in problem-solving and communication. Finalists will travel to the Rochester Institute of Technology, where they will present their work to judges, attend events, and meet students from around the world. Business awards for high school students include medals, certificates, and recognition across the GENIUS network.
10. Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
Location: Online
Cost: None. Trophy awards and a certificate of achievement were included
Dates: Preliminary round on May 16 and final round on June 20
Application Deadline: April 20
Eligibility: High (secondary) school students aged 14 to 18 globally
In this global online challenge for high school students, you will spend a single 12-hour day creating a science- or technology-based business idea that responds to a major world problem. You and your team will research the issue, outline a practical solution, and prepare a short business plan with key details on production, costs, and impact. You will also script and record a three-minute video that presents your concept to judges. The fast pace encourages collaboration across roles and helps you understand how innovation connects to real needs. Business awards for high school students include certificates, feedback, and recognition in an international entrepreneurship community.
11. DECA Competitive Events Program
Location: School-based chapters across the U.S., Canada, and other chartered associations; Top competitors advance to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), held in major U.S. cities
Cost: None. You will earn scholarships and awards
Dates: Varies according to your school chapter
Application Deadline: Varies according to your school chapter
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12 who are a part of an official high school DECA chapter
Through DECA’s competitive events program, you will spend the school year working on case studies, exams, and role-plays that mirror careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. You will analyze business problems, design solutions, and practice public speaking while gaining experience in decision-making and customer service. You will receive guidance from your chapter advisor and meet business professionals at conferences and workshops. Many events include written and oral presentation rounds where you will present your ideas to judges.
12. Business Professionals of America Virtual Competitions
Location: Fully online at the national level; Top finalists present in person at the BPA National Leadership Conference
Cost: Not specified
Dates: Virtual competitions run during the school year and finish with the National Leadership Conference, held from May 6–10
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Open to all BPA student members
In these virtual BPA competitions, you will spend the school year creating business and technology projects that mirror real workplace tasks. You will also design a startup plan, build a website or app, manage a mock investment portfolio, or prepare a social media campaign. You will submit entries online and be scored against national rubrics, gaining experience in planning, communication, and professional presentation. You will work with your local advisor and learn from written judges’ feedback. If you place in the top tier, you will attend the National Leadership Conference showcase, present your project in person, and gain national recognition for your skills and leadership.
13. SAGE Global
Location: Local and national SAGE competitions run in participating countries worldwide; Top teams advance to the SAGE World Cup, hosted each year in a different country
Cost: Free. The top two teams from each participating country are invited to the World Cup.
Dates: Competitions run on an annual cycle
Application Deadline: Deadlines are set by each country’s SAGE program
Eligibility: Teenagers across the USA and the world (2 teams from each country participate in the SAGE World Cup)
Through this international entrepreneurship program for high school students, you will spend the year running a real business or social venture with your team. You will track your impact, review your finances, and write an annual report that explains how your venture addresses a community need. You will also prepare a formal presentation for judges and receive guidance from mentors who work in business and social innovation. National finalists will present at the SAGE World Cup, where you will attend workshops, meet student founders from many countries, and share your results on a global stage.
14. Pirates Pitch Competition
Location: Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ
Cost: None. Cash prizes included
Dates: November 21
Application Deadline: October 22
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or better
Seton Hall runs Pirates Pitch as its flagship high school entrepreneurship event, and the whole thing builds toward one clear moment on campus. You spend the fall shaping an idea into a short, convincing pitch by looking at who needs your product, how you would reach them, and what the business could earn. If you’re selected as a finalist, you head to Seton Hall to make your case in front of alumni, business leaders, and faculty. The judges award cash and scholarships, and the day also gives you a first look at how college business programs think about new ventures.
15. Cooper Hewitt National High School Design Competition
Location: National U.S. competition with online submissions; Finalists attend an in-person Mentor Weekend at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, followed by a virtual Judging Weekend.
Cost: None. Custom design gift package valued at approximately $500
Dates: May – June
Application Deadline: February 10
Eligibility: Open to all high school students in grades 9 through 12, or who are homeschooled students working toward a high school degree anywhere in the United States
Through this national design competition for high school students, you will spend the year developing a creative solution to a real problem you have observed in your community. You will sketch ideas, collect information, and explain why your design meets the need while learning how designers think, test, and communicate. If you are chosen as a finalist, you will attend Mentor Weekend at the Cooper Hewitt museum, where you will work closely with professional designers and refine your concept. Additionally, you will present your project during a virtual judging session. Finalists and honorable mentions will also receive national recognition and a showcase spot in Cooper Hewitt’s online exhibition.
Image Source - Harvard University logo