17 Business Competitions for High School Students in 2025

According to a survey by HBR, more than 32% of the surveyed students want to transition into entrepreneurship within five years of their graduation.

Even more surprising, 17% of surveyed undergrad students already own a business.

The entrepreneurial spark is clearly hitting early. And now, it’s reaching even younger minds. High school students aren’t waiting for college to chase big ideas. They’re building apps, launching online stores, and entering pitch competitions—some even walking away with real funding.

Schools across the world are catching on.

They’re supporting student founders through business clubs, startup incubators, and by hosting something as simple as business competitions for high school students.

Business competitions provide students with a genuine opportunity to test their ideas, develop skills, and learn what it takes to start something from scratch.

But what business competitions should you be participating in? Let’s find that out.

Why consider entering a business competition?

Entering a business competition in high school helps you learn how to build and test business ideas from quite an early age. While some of these competitions require you to pay a minimal application fee, most are free to participate.

Such competitions let you try real-world skills like market research, planning, and pitching that most classrooms only teach in theory.

These competitions also give you a space to show your entrepreneurial side while connecting with other motivated students, startup founders, business professors, and professionals. It’s a smart way to gain exposure and build a network early on. This kind of experience also adds weight to your college applications or business school portfolio.

While many competitions focus on mentorship, scholarships, and recognition, some also offer cash prizes. Whether you win or not, the learning, exposure, and feedback you get are often more valuable than any award.

17 Top business competitions for high school students

Let’s now walk you through 17 of the finest entrepreneurship competitions for high school students with different focus areas.

1. Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition

The Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition is the world’s largest virtual pitch contest for high school students. Here, the participants are challenged to develop a blue ocean business idea that solves a real-life problem and submit a 5-minute pitch video within a given deadline.

The competition is free to enter and includes access to a mini-course on Blue Ocean Strategy, a framework taught at top business schools.

The judges in this competition evaluate the pitch on 5 equally important factors:

• Value innovation
• Market potential
• Commercial viability and scalability
• Technical feasibility
• Quality of Presentation & Use of Blue Ocean Tools

How to participate: Register and complete the Blue Ocean Mini-Course. Upload your blue ocean pitch to YouTube with the hashtag #blueoceancompetition and include a link to the published video when submitting your entry on the pitch submission form.

2. Diamond challenge

The Diamond Challenge is a global entrepreneurship competition for teens, hosted by the University of Delaware’s Horn Entrepreneurship. Students compete in one of two tracks:

• Business Innovation: Solve a customer problem with a revenue-generating solution.
• Social Innovation: Address a social or environmental issue through impact-driven ideas.

Participants in this competition get free access to resources that help shape their concept and pitch. Their submissions in a team of 2 or 4 must include a written concept narrative and a pitch deck.

How to participate: Choose a competition track and pitch round format to submit your concept in a team, and make sure your team has an adult advisor who’s above 21.

3. Wharton Global High School Investment Competition

The Wharton Global High School is a free and experiential investment Competition for high school students (9th to 12th grade) and teachers. Here, the students in a team of 4-7 get to manage a hypothetical $100,000 portfolio using the Wharton Investment Simulator (WInS). In this competition, home-schooled students or privately tutored students working towards a G.E.D. (high school diploma) or non-U.S. equivalent may also compete.

How to participate: Registration for the event opens in June and closes on September 13. Only an advisor can register on behalf of students.

4. Conrad Challenge

The Conrad Challenge is a multi-phase innovation competition to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. Students (ages 13–18) from all over the world form teams to develop solutions to global problems in 4 key areas:

• Aerospace & Aviation
• Cyber Technology & Security
• Energy & Environment
• Health & Nutrition

The competition focuses on myriad aspects that enhance creativity, STEM skills, and business acumen. Here, the team designs an innovative product and designs a business plan to market it efficiently. Finalist teams are then invited to the annual Innovation Summit to present their ideas to experts and compete for awards and recognition.

How to participate: Form a team of 2–5 students with an adult coach and register online on the Conrad platform.

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5. GENIUS Olympiad (Business)

GENIUS Olympiad is an international high school project competition focusing on environmental issues and sustainability. It hosts projects across 8 disciplines, such as science, robotics, speech, business, art, music, short film, and coding, with a focus on the environment.

Projects at this competition are evaluated based on creativity, feasibility, and potential impact. Finalists are then invited to present their projects at the GENIUS Olympiad event, providing an opportunity to network with peers and experts from around the world.

How to participate: Develop a sustainable business idea addressing an environmental or social issue, prepare a detailed plan, and submit your project online by March 1, 2025.

6. Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge

The Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC) is a fast-paced, online business competition that brings together high school students from around the world. In this challenge, teams of students have a 12-hour window to develop a creative business solution to a surprise problem or prompt announced at the start of the competition. The teams then present their business idea as a two-page A4 document and a three-minute video presentation in English.

How to participate: Form a team of 3–8 students with a teacher/mentor and register online

7. Rice Business Plan Competition

The Rice Business Plan Competition is the largest and richest startup competition for student-driven startups. Each year, the RBPC, hosted by Rice University in Texas, invites dozens of top university startup teams to pitch their companies to judges for over $1 million in prizes and investment. Competitors network with venture capitalists, figure out what an investor wants from their business, and often secure real funding deals.

While you can’t compete as a high school student, you can still get involved. Watch the final pitch rounds on live streams to see how top teams pitch and answer Q&A. If you live near the competition or have connections, consider attending the public sessions to network and learn.

How to participate: Participating students must submit a detailed business plan before a given deadline

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8. SAGE Global Competitions

SAGE (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship) is specifically designed for teenage entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses and compete for a chance to represent the United States at the prestigious SAGE World Cup.

The competition features two divisions: Socially Responsible Business and Social Enterprise Business. Teams present their ventures through annual reports and live presentations at national competitions. Top teams advance to the SAGE World Cup, showcasing their work to an international panel of judges and peers

How to participate: Form a team of 3 or more students with an adult advisor, develop and operate a business or social enterprise, and register through your country’s SAGE affiliate or the official website.

9. DECA

DECA is an international student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

Its Competitive Events Program offers high school students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real-world business scenarios. Events are categorized into role-plays and case studies, prepared events, and online simulations, spanning six career clusters:

• Marketing
• Finance
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Business Management & Administration
• Entrepreneurship
• Personal Financial Literacy

How to participate: Join your school’s DECA chapter and compete at local and state levels to qualify for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC).

10. National Economics Challenge (NEC)

The National Economics Challenge (NEC), organized by the Council for Economic Education, is the premier economics competition for high school students in the United States. Each year, nearly 10,000 students participate, demonstrating their knowledge in microeconomics, macroeconomics, international economics, and current events. Teams progress through state-level competitions to the National Semi-Finals and ultimately the National Finals, which include a critical thinking round and a quiz bowl.

How to participate: Form a team of four students with a teacher as coach, register through your state’s coordinator or the EconChallenge portal, and prepare for state-level exams to qualify for Nationals.

11. World Series of Innovation (NFTE)

The World Series of Innovation (WSI), organized by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), is a global online competition that invites young people to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Participants choose from various themed challenges sponsored by leading organizations and submit their ideas in the form of brief concept summaries or slide decks. The competition is designed to be accessible, requiring no long-term projects or advanced business plans.

How to participate: Visit the NFTE website to select a challenge that aligns with your interests. Develop an innovative idea addressing the challenge prompt, and submit your entry online by the specified deadline

12. FCCLA Virtual Business Challenge

The FCCLA Virtual Business Challenge is a simulation-based competition that helps FCCLA members develop specific lifelong skills in character development, creative and critical thinking, interpersonal communication, practical knowledge, and career preparation.

There are 4 competitive event levels such as:

• Level 1: Members through grade 8
• Level 2: Members in grades 9 and 10
• Level 3: Members in grades 11 and 12
• Level 4: Postsecondary members

Entry into a particular level is determined by the participant’s grade in school during the school year preceding the National Leadership Conference

How to participate: Ask the FCCLA adviser to register your team on the Knowledge Matters platform. Once the competition window opens, you’ll log in and complete your applications.

13. Cooper Hewitt Design Competition

The Cooper Hewitt National High School Design Competition is an annual contest that challenges high school students across the U.S. to solve a unique design problem.

This competition encourages participants to apply design thinking to real-world issues, creating innovative solutions that foster a sense of belonging and comfort within communities. Submissions should include concept sketches and explanations of the design idea. Finalists are selected to refine their ideas with the assistance of professional design mentors during an in-person Mentor Weekend at the museum. Ultimately, finalists present their solutions to a jury of design experts during a virtual Judging Weekend.

How to participate: Monitor the website for the annual challenge announcement. Once announced, develop a design solution addressing the prompt, create a concept sketch, and submit your entry online by the specified deadline.

14. Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is one of the largest U.S.-based student organizations focused on developing business and leadership skills. Its high school division offers dozens of competitive events, from objective exams to hands-on projects like business plan presentations, marketing strategy pitches, and tech-based demonstrations.

Most competitions begin at the regional or state level, and top students qualify for the National Leadership Conference (NLC), held in major cities each summer. Whether you’re interested in accounting, entrepreneurship, or public speaking, FBLA has a format that fits.

How to participate: Start by joining FBLA at your school. Early in the school year, look at the list of events and choose one or more that align with your interests and strengths.

15. Startup Weekend

Startup Weekend Youth is a 3-day, high-speed startup event designed for everyone who is interested in entrepreneurship (regardless of their age). As a student, this in-person weekend will let you pitch ideas, form teams, and launch a startup concept in just 54 hours.

Participants brainstorm, validate, build, and present a business idea from Friday to Sunday while working alongside coaches and mentors. The best thing about this challenge is that you don’t need any experience to join, and you don’t need a team or an idea upfront either.

How to participate: Look for a Youth Startup Weekend near you and register online.

16. Enactus World Cup

Enactus World Cup is the global championship for Enactus, a nonprofit that connects college students working on social entrepreneurship projects.

University teams from 30+ countries build ventures that tackle real community challenges, think clean water, women’s employment, or food waste.  The best teams advance to the Enactus World Cup, where they present their impact and results to a panel of global business leaders.

While high school students can’t compete, it’s a great event to watch and learn from. You’ll see how real projects combine business with social change and get inspired to build your own.

How to participate: Enactus isn’t open for high school students yet

17. Hult Prize Foundation

The Hult Prize challenges young people around the world to solve the planet’s most pressing issues through social entrepreneurship. It’s also called the Nobel Prize for student entrepreneurs.

Each year, teams of university students pitch a business idea that tackles a major global issue (like hunger, healthcare, education, or climate). The winning team walks away with $1 million in seed funding. The whole process includes multiple rounds, like campus qualifiers, regional finals, a global accelerator, and a final pitch, often held at the UN or another high-profile venue.

How to participate: Look out for youth programs like Hult Future Leaders, which offer smaller challenges for teens, and enroll in such programs.

Get business competition ready with Upmetrics

Getting involved in business competitions during high school builds a strong profile and gives you real-world experience of what it takes to start something from scratch. You step beyond textbook theories and learn how to turn ideas into action, pitch under pressure, and work with others to solve problems.

Now, when you apply to these competitions, many of them will ask for a detailed business plan—one that explains the problem you’re solving, the market you’re entering, and how you’ll generate revenue. Even if a plan isn’t required, writing one helps you think through every part of your idea and spot any gaps early on.

That’s where Upmetrics can be useful. It gives you everything you need to write a solid business plan, build a pitch deck, and map out financials—all powered by AI.

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