13 Business Competitions for High School Students in New York
Entrepreneurship is no longer something students wait to explore in college. Many high school students are already testing ideas and building startups on their own. If you want to check how you handle business problems, business competitions for high school students should be on your radar.
What do business competitions involve?
Business competitions for high school students focus on tasks like building strategies, working through case studies, and presenting solutions. You may work in teams, manage time constraints, and respond to feedback from judges. This helps you develop structured thinking and communication while producing work you can refer to later.
Why should you choose a business competition in New York?
New York hosts a range of business competitions through academic institutions and independent organizations. These competitions often follow clear formats and include multiple rounds, which helps you track your progress. Choosing business competitions for high school students in New York can also save time and cost if you are local. At the same time, participating in these events can strengthen your college applications and resume by showing direct engagement with business.
For adjacent opportunities, you can consider business internships in New York and entrepreneurship summer programs in New York.
With that, here are 13 business competitions for high school students in New York!
13 Business Competitions for High School Students in New York
1. New York Institute of Technology High School Business Competition
Location: New York Institute of Technology, School of Management, Long Island and New York City campuses, NY
Cost: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Competition runs approximately 4 weeks (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors; teams work on a real company case study; enrollment through the school
The High School Business Competition hosted by New York Institute of Technology allows high school students to apply business theory to real life by working with actual companies to solve their problems. During the competition, you will interact with company leadership, learn about their business in depth, and work on resolving issues faced by them. After being paired in teams, you will work collaboratively over the period of four weeks to resolve these challenges, written in a case study format. Towards the end, your findings and recommendations will be presented to company executives, helping you develop your communication, problem-solving, and team-building skills through the process.
2. JA New York Business Plan Competition
Location: Participating JA New York partner school classrooms (in-person or virtual); live finals held at a designated location; organized by Junior Achievement of New York, New York, NY
Cost: Free to students; cash prizes for top three teams; trophies for the winning school
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Runs approximately 2 months during the school year; 6 volunteer-led sessions plus online and live competition rounds; (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students competing in teams; selection through JA New York partner schools
The Junior Achievement of New York hosts its business plan competition to bring together high school students to work on creating a viable business plan. You will work in teams to create a business plan and develop a blueprint strategy to launch your business. The competition includes coaching sessions with volunteers who take short sessions and concepts such as advertisement, marketing, product development, management, and also guide you through any doubts that you might have. Through the process, you will come across key business concepts, learn how to plan a business, analyze information, and learn the best way to present information.
3. Stevens School of Business Entrepreneurship and AI Video Pitch Competition
Location: Virtual (video submission); hosted by Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business, Hoboken
Cost: $20 entry fee per registrant; prizes: 1st place $500; 2nd place $250; 3rd place $100; all participants receive a certificate of completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Video submission deadline January 15; finalists announced February 15
Application Deadline: January 7
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 9–11 (public, private, or homeschool); individual submissions only; video must address problem, solution, AI component, market, and business impact; AI tool disclosure required if used to create assets
Stevens School of Business hosts a high school entrepreneurship competition in which high school students propose a business plan that uses AI and present their idea in a compelling pitch. The competition accepts individual submissions, in which you will submit a video pitch detailing the problem, who's affected, how your solution can help, and how you're using AI to power your solution. Additionally, your pitch will include the estimated market size, competitors, ideal users, and the vision for the future, including impact and path to scale. Previous winners of the competition include an app that tracks the expiration date of food items to avoid wastage and an AI-powered revision tool that analyzes homework essays to provide constructive and structured feedback.
4. St. John’s University High School Pitch Competition
Location: St. John's University, Peter J. Tobin College of Business, Queens, NY (in-person)
Cost: Free to enter; prizes: 1st place $2,500; 2nd place $1,500; 3rd place $1,000; all finalists receive a certificate of achievement and expert feedback
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: March 16
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school students; individual or teams of up to 3; no prior business experience required; each team paired with a St. John's business student mentor; any innovative business idea accepted
St. John’s University hosts a competition for high school students to present innovative business ideas and foster their interest in entrepreneurship. During the competition, you will be judged on the viability, creativity, and potential impact of your business idea. Your idea can range from anything to tech startups, AI, or even social enterprises. You will have access to mentor support through the program, helping you refine your business plan and pitch. The competition follows a two-round format, including a community pitch round, after which you will advance to the second stage and pitch in front of a panel of industry experts and entrepreneurs.
5. GENIUS Olympiad
Location: Rochester Institute of Technology
Cost: $60 application fee per project; $600 participation fee per finalist participant; awards include medals and certificates
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Finalists announced March 25; Finals June 8–12
Application Deadline: March 7
Eligibility: High school students internationally; Entrepreneurship discipline requires a sustainable business idea addressing an environmental challenge; teams or individuals may apply; school supervisor required; under-18 participants require chaperones; open to US and international students
The Genius Olympiad hosts an international high school competition with an environmental focus in eight different disciplines. Students interested in building a business can opt for the entrepreneurship discipline, where they will ideate and work on green products and service-based businesses. During the competition, you will prepare a business idea, propose a plan, and make a pitch simulating an investment round. The plan will include analysis of the current market, potential buyers, competitors, substitute technologies, and market dynamics relevant to your business. Stressing the sustainability aspect, your pitch will include the impact of the specific industry you're hoping to address, along with the proposed changes, and how your changes will positively impact the environment.
6. NFTE World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
Location: United Nations Plaza, New York, NY
Cost: Free for qualifying student participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Invitation-only; students must advance through NFTE regional and national competitions; one World Champion is crowned annually
Dates: November 18–20 (tentative, based on previous year dates)
Application Deadline: Not applicable for individual enrollment; students must advance through NFTE school programs and regional/national competitions
Eligibility: Must be enrolled in NFTE programs through a partner school and advance through NFTE's regional competition pipeline; open to US and international NFTE student entrepreneurs; individual students cannot self-register directly
The NFTE World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge brings together high school students interested in learning about entrepreneurship and cultivating entrepreneurship spirit and judgement through competing to work on their own business plans. The competition spans three days, which includes learning through workshops and leadership sessions led by business professionals. These sessions focus on working on your entrepreneurial thinking, understanding business frameworks, and learning from your peers. The second day includes working with an experienced business coach who will help you refine your pitch, work on your business strategy, and prepare for the competition. You will then present your pitch to a panel of judges.
7. Youth Business Summit
Location: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY (in-person)
Cost: Registration and booth fees required; pricing varies by participation type
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: April 21–23
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Open to high school students through a Virtual Enterprise (VE) program partner school; open to middle and high school students across the US and internationally
The Business Summit offers various competitive opportunities for high school students interested in entrepreneurship, including competitions in business plan, finance, marketing, global innovation, sales pitch, and human resources. The Summit offers the opportunity to network with business professionals, work collaboratively with peers, and both learn and exchange new ideas. You will participate in business competitions where you will work on various challenges, such as solving an issue around climate sustainability, designing effective social media advertisements, showcasing your understanding of key financial concepts, and competing to deliver an effective sales pitch. You have the opportunity to enroll in different competitions and gain experience across different business areas.
8. Ready. Set. Lead. Business Competition
Location: St. Joseph's University, New York, Long Island Campus, Patchogue, NY
Cost: Not specified; prizes awarded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: December 3
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students; competition categories include entrepreneurship, sports marketing, design, and other business scenarios
The Ready. Set. Lead. Business Competition is an annual competition held by Saint Joseph's University that brings together high school students to work on a series of business-related scenarios and challenges. You can participate in different categories focusing on areas, including entrepreneurship, branding and graphic design, healthcare, hospitality services, sports, marketing, nonprofit fundraising, retail marketing, human resources, finance, and technology. Each category comes with a task, be it solving a business problem, working on content assets, designing a strategy, or coming up with a business plan. You'll be given some time to work on the solution, after which you will present your resolution to a panel of expert judges, followed by a QA round, and then the winners will be decided.
9. The National Economics Challenge
Location: State-level rounds held locally (varies by state); paid trip to Atlanta (excluding travel) for national finalists; CEE based in New York, NY
Cost: Free to enter; cash prizes at national finals
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: State-level rounds: spring (dates vary by state); national finals: May 28–29
Application Deadline: Rolling; state-level deadlines vary by state affiliate
Eligibility: High school students in teams; a teacher or economics professional serves as coach; open to US high school students
National Economics Challenge offers high school students a platform to test their knowledge of economics and compete with peers on a national scale. You will work in teams alongside instructors and economic professionals who will act as your support system throughout the rounds. You will be tested on your knowledge of the world economy, along with key principles in macroeconomics and microeconomics, including concepts such as free markets, international trade, the economy, and financial institutions. The competition takes place in several rounds, where you will first compete at the state level, after which you move on to the national semi-finals and then finals.
10. High School Fed Challenge
Location: Virtual, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, NY
Cost: Free
Dates: March - May (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: Registration deadline: Feb 17; Submission: March 16
Eligibility: High school students; each school can register only one team
High School Fed Challenge is a team-based academic competition where you work like an economist, researching a real-world economic theme and turning it into a structured written or presentation output. You and your team collect data, study trends, and build an argument around a specific topic linked to the yearly theme, which can range from industries to broader economic systems. The process involves analyzing evidence, interpreting economic patterns, and writing or presenting your conclusions clearly. You are expected to think through cause and effect, not just describe facts, and explain how economic ideas apply in real situations. Teams collaborate throughout, dividing research, writing, and analysis tasks while refining the final submission. Selected submissions can be published in the Journal of Future Economists, giving your work national recognition.
11. Global Stock Pitch Competition
Location: Virtual; final rounds in New York City
Cost: $25 registration fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; top 100 advance to summit
Dates: May 28–29
Application Deadline: February 20
Eligibility: High school students; individual or teams of 2; open to both U.S. and international students
The Global Stock Pitch Competition brings together high school students looking to delve into developing their investment and business analysis skills. During the competition, you will be tasked with selecting a publicly traded company based on your own financial analysis and research. You might also get to meet with company management and business professionals to make your decision. You will then prepare a stock pitch report with a clear buy or sell recommendation, which you will then present and define your analysis to a panel of industry professionals, after which the winners will be chosen.
12. The New York Times Learning Network Contests
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Year-round; each contest ~4–8 weeks; dates vary by specific competition
Application Deadline: Varies by contest
Eligibility: Ages 13–19; open internationally
The New York Times Learning Center hosts a variety of competitions for high school students in the realm of business, media, and public education. Most of the contests include creating multimedia assets and content pieces, such as developing a podcast, working on photo essays, and thinking critically about artificial intelligence. The contests help you work on your storytelling, creativity, and develop better judgment, which are all useful skills that will strengthen your narrative voice for college applications and also come in handy when working alongside businesses.
13. DECA Entrepreneurship Series
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies by contest
Application Deadline: Varies by contest
Eligibility: High school students must be DECA members through a school chapter
The DECA entrepreneurship series offers high school students the opportunity to develop better entrepreneurial judgment by working on a series of business challenges. You’ll go through several challenges, including conducting market research, identifying markets, determining customer needs, recognizing opportunities, and using your management skills. You will step into the role of a business professional and work on solving problems using business frameworks and concepts. Some examples of the challenge include stepping into the roles of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and working on business problems such as pivoting customer pieces, identifying resources, pointing out channel strategies, and creating unique ideas.
If you’re looking for an incubator program that helps you build skills for business competitions, consider the Young Founders Lab!
If you want mentorship from successful entrepreneurs in building your business and learning business skills, the Young Founders Lab is one of the strongest programs you can join in high school. It’s a 100% virtual start-up boot camp run by Harvard entrepreneurs, designed specifically for students who want to launch a company or non-profit.
In this program, you’ll get hands-on mentorship from founders and professionals from Google, Microsoft, McKinsey, and YC-backed companies, while building a venture that solves a real-world problem. You’ll attend live workshops, explore business fundamentals, refine your idea, and work toward a fully developed MVP and pitch.
Multiple cohorts run throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring, so you can join whenever it fits your schedule. Financial aid is available, and the program is open to all high school students, with no prior experience required.