13 Digital Marketing Competitions for High School Students
If you're interested in marketing, there are plenty of ways to build experience and learn how the industry works while still in high school. One of the most effective ways is to join a digital marketing competition.
What do digital marketing competitions involve?
Digital marketing competitions give you a chance to test your creativity, strategic thinking, and analytical skills in real-world scenarios. Instead of just learning concepts, you'll design campaigns, analyze consumer behavior, and communicate ideas effectively; skills that are highly valued in business, media, and technology fields.
Why participate in digital marketing competitions as a high schooler?
Virtual submissions and presentations allow you to compete with students from different regions on the same platform. These experiences can also open the doors to mentorship opportunities and networking connections. and potential collaborations with other students interested in marketing. Performing well, or even being shortlisted, can help you strengthen your college applications by demonstrating initiative, creativity, and business acumen.
To apply your marketing skills in a professional environment, you can participate in marketing internships. For adjacent work opportunities, you can look at social media internships.
13 Digital Marketing Competitions for High School Students
1. Conrad Challenge
Location: Virtual + Power Pitch Summit in-person, U.S.
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: August–October
Dates: August – April; Power Pitch Stage: April 22–25
Eligibility: Open to students ages 13–18 working in teams of 2–5 from any country
The Conrad Challenge is a multi-stage global innovation competition where you work in a team to develop a business idea that addresses a real-world problem. You begin by selecting a category, such as aerospace, cybersecurity, energy, or health, and identifying a problem you want to solve. As part of the competition, you create a Lean Canvas to map out your business model, write an Innovation Brief explaining your concept, and build a simple website and pitch video to communicate your idea effectively. Throughout the challenge, you'll have access to structured resources and mentorship to help you refine your concept and presentation. If your team advances to the final stage, you will present your project at the Innovation Summit. Finalists compete for scholarships and the Pete Conrad Scholar title, while also attending the in-person summit that features expert talks, workshops, and networking opportunities with innovators and industry leaders.
2. Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: February 22
Dates: Top 100 announcement – April 6; Winners – May 13
Eligibility: Open to high school students worldwide aged 14–18 at the time of registration; solo or team participation allowed
The Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition is a virtual business pitch competition where you design an original product or service that addresses an overlooked problem in the market. To begin with, you complete a short online course that introduces the concept of “blue ocean” strategy, focusing on opportunities with little or no competition. This framework helps you develop innovative ideas and think strategically about how businesses can stand out. After developing your concept, you prepare and submit a five-minute video pitch that clearly explains your idea and how it solves a problem. In addition to the main judging process, the competition also includes a Popular Choice Award, where the public can vote for their favorite idea.
3. Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: August 12
Dates: May 12 – August 12
Eligibility: Open to students aged 13 and older; individual entries only
The Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition (CEC) is a global idea-based competition where you develop a business concept aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The competition focuses on creating solutions that address real social or environmental challenges, helping you see how entrepreneurship can drive meaningful impact. The competition takes place in three phases. First, you submit your initial idea outlining the problem you want to address and your proposed solution. Next, you participate in training sessions and develop your concept further using the Entrepreneurial Design Canvas, a structured framework for building business models. In the final stage, your idea is evaluated through a combination of public voting and jury review.
4. Diamond Challenge
Location: Virtual + In-person Finals in Newark, Delaware
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Check format-specific deadlines after registration
Dates: Submission window opens September 18
Eligibility: Open to high school students ages 14–18 working in teams of 2–4 with one adult advisor (21+)
The Diamond Challenge is an international entrepreneurship competition where you develop and pitch your own venture. The competition offers two tracks: Business Innovation, where you design a revenue-generating business, and Social Innovation, where you design to address a social or environmental issue. This flexibility lets you explore entrepreneurship while applying strategic thinking, creativity, and marketing skills to real-world challenges. To participate, you submit a written concept along with a pitch deck explaining your idea, market opportunity, and how to plan to bring it to life. You can compete either through a regional event or a fully virtual pathway. If your team advances, you'll move on to the final round hosted by the University of Delaware in Newark or online. Throughout the competition, you'll have access to pitch-building tools, educational resources, and feedback that help strengthen your idea.
5. BPA Virtual Competitions
Location: Online
Cost: Typically $10 for individual events and $20 for team events
Application Deadline: December 1
Dates: Submissions by April 1; National Showcase on May 10
Eligibility: Open to Middle Level, Secondary, and Post-secondary members of Business Professionals of America (BPA) who are registered and in good standing for the current membership year
BPA Virtual Competitions give you the opportunity to test your business, marketing, and technology skills through a series of online challenges that you can complete from anywhere. The competition offers a variety of event categories, including marketing, finance, computer programming, and graphic design, so you can explore different areas of business and discover what interests you the most. Depending on the event, you may compete individually or collaborate with teammates to complete projects. These might include creating a business plan, designing a website, developing a marketing campaign, or proposing solutions to real-world business problems. These projects help you build practical skills such as problem-solving, time management, and creative thinking, while working under deadlines.
6. SBU High School Marketing Competition
Location: Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, Missouri
Cost: Not specified (typically free for participating schools)
Application Deadline: October 8
Dates: October 16
Eligibility: Open to local high school teams of 2–4 students; schools may register up to four teams
The SBU High School Marketing Competition challenges you to develop a creative advertising campaign that addresses a real-world marketing problem. Working in teams, you analyze the situation, identify a target audience, and design strategies to communicate the campaign message effectively. The goal is to combine creativity with research-backed decision-making to build a persuasive and well-structured marketing solution. Along the way, you'll build skills such as teamwork, creative ideation, and managing project deadlines. A panel of judges evaluates the campaigns based on effectiveness, creativity, and research quality. Top teams receive awards, and the experience gives you practical exposure to real-world advertising and marketing strategy.
7. Paradigm Challenge
Location: Entirely online
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: May 1
Dates: May 1
Eligibility: Open to students aged 4–18 at the time of submission; individual or team participation allowed
The Paradigm Challenge is an international competition where you develop an original solution to a real-world problem. Each year focuses on issues such as home fires, waste reduction, health or food security, encouraging you to apply creative thinking and research to design practical solutions. You can participate individually or as part of a team while exploring innovative ways to address these global challenges. Your solution can be presented in several forms, including a video presentation, a prototype, a drawing, or a written proposal explaining your idea and how it works. Many participants create product designs, community initiatives, or awareness campaigns aimed at solving the chosen problem.
8. Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
Location: Virtual + Global Finale at the Wharton School, Philadelphia
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: September 12
Dates: Trading Period: September 29–December 5; Finale – April 24–25
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 9–12 working in teams of 4–7 with a teacher advisor
The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is a 10-week team-based challenge where you develop and manage an investment strategy for a fictional client. Using a virtual trading simulator with $250,000 in simulated funds, you analyze markets, evaluate risks, and design a portfolio that aligns with your client’s financial goals. While your portfolio performance is tracked, the competition primarily evaluates your reasoning, strategic thinking, and ability to justify your decisions. During the competition, you collaborate with teammates and work under the guidance of a teacher advisor. Your team submits two reports, a midterm and a final, explaining your investment choices and how they support the client’s objectives.
9. Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: March 21
Dates: Preliminary Round – April 12; Final Round – May 17
Eligibility: Open to high school students aged 14–18 working in teams of 3–8
The Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC) is a fast-paced online competition where you and your team develop a business solution addressing a global social issue, all within a limited time frame. The challenge prompt is announced at the start of the event, giving your team 12 hours to research the problem, design a viable solution, and prepare your submission. This format encourages quick thinking, collaboration, and the ability to translate ideas into clear business strategies under time constraints. Teams typically focus on areas such as education, social welfare, or environmental sustainability. Judges evaluate submissions based on creativity, clarity, feasibility, and the strength of the marketing strategy and financial model. Winning teams from the preliminary round move on to represent their country in the global finals.
10. SAGE USA National Competition
Location: Virtual (U.S.-based teams only)
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: May 2 (Annual Report submission required)
Dates: Presentation time slots – May 2–16; Results announced May 23
Eligibility: Open to high school student teams participating in SAGE USA
The SAGE USA National Competition is a national event where you present a real venture created by your team to address social or environmental challenges. Instead of just proposing an idea, you'll showcase an active business or project that is already making an impact in your community. The focus is not only on the idea itself but also on how effectively your team executes the venture and communicates its outcomes. To participate, your team submits a four-page annual report outlining your venture’s goals, activities, and impact. You also deliver a 13-minute live video presentation, followed by a 7-minute Q&A session with judges.
11. World Series of Innovation (WSI)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: December 15
Dates: September 9 – December 15
Eligibility: Open to individuals or teams worldwide, ages 13–24 (Impact League)
The World Series of Innovation (WSI), hosted by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), is a global online competition where you design a business idea that addresses a challenge linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). You begin by choosing a specific theme, such as climate change, health equity, or financial literacy, and developing an innovative solution that can create a measurable social impact. Your submission is typically a short written proposal or slide deck explaining the problem, your proposed solution, and how it could function as a sustainable business. You can participate individually or with up to two teammates, making it a flexible option whether you prefer working independently or collaboratively.
12. Virtual Business Challenge
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Registration opens October 1
Dates:
Round One: October 14 - November 8
Round Two: February 3 - February 28
Championship: March 31 - April 4
Eligibility: Open to FCCLA high school members; teams must be registered through a school advisor
The Virtual Business Challenge (VBC), organized by FCCLA and Knowledge Matters, is an online simulation competition where you manage a virtual company and make strategic business decisions. You can choose from different tracks, such as personal finance or fashion, and manage your business using real-time data. During the competition, you work within a custom business simulation platform that lets you control different aspects of operations, including pricing, marketing, inventory, and financial strategy. Your score updates on a live basis, depending on how well your virtual business performs, and you can submit multiple attempts to improve your ranking. The top teams from the seasonal rounds advance to the National Championship Round, where finalists compete for national recognition.
13. First Wave Pitch Competition
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: March 12
Dates: Pitch submission deadline – March 12
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 9–12 from Wicomico and Somerset County Public Schools; individual participation or teams of up to 3 students
The First Wave Pitch Competition is a regional entrepreneurship contest where you present a business idea through a short elevator pitch. To participate, you'll submit a three-minute video explaining the problem your idea addresses, the proposed solution, the target audience, and how your idea could generate revenue. The competition is designed to help you communicate your business ideas clearly and persuasively, while building your understanding of how businesses are structured. Judges review pitches based on the strength of the idea, clarity of the presentation, and feasibility of the business concept. The first-place winner receives up to $3,000 in cash and a $1,000 scholarship to Salisbury University, with additional awards recognizing participating teachers and schools that support student entrepreneurship.
If you’re looking for an incubator program that helps you build skills for digital marketing competitions, consider the Young Founders Lab!
If you want mentorship from successful entrepreneurs in building your business and learning marketing 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.