8 Business Competitions for High School Students
If you’re a high school student keen on pursuing business or are looking for ways to challenge your business knowledge and skills, you should consider participating in a competition. A business competition can be an excellent opportunity for students to tackle challenges that come up in the real world, across various aspects of business.
These contests are about more than just winning, they will help you hone your critical-thinking skills, collaborate with a team, and develop innovative solutions. You'll gain practical experience in the business world, beyond what you learn in school.
Participating in these competitions can also boost your resume and college applications. Whether you're applying to college, for an internship, or pitching a project, your participation in a business competition will demonstrate that you have hands-on experience in the field and a proactive approach to your education. It shows that you're focused on your academics and at the same time, are driven to take initiative, which can help you stand out among your peers.
We’ve curated a list of 8 business competitions tailored for high school students that you can consider.
1. The Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition
The Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition is a well-regarded virtual business competition for high school students. Founded and run by students, this global event attracts participants from high schools in over 146 countries. In its nine-year history, the competition has expanded from a state-level event to an global level, engaging 15,000 students and offering real-world entrepreneurial experience. Participants will have the opportunity to network with peers and mentors worldwide, benefiting from brainstorming sessions and Q&A interactions. To participate, students need to register and will receive a starter pack with business plan templates to help create their pitches. Each participant prepares a 5-minute pitch, either individually or as part of a team.
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free.
Prizes: Cash awards of $500-1,000, certificates, and a sponsored internship for the winner.
Competition Dates: February - April.
Application Deadline: Registrations for 2025 are open. They typically close in February.
Eligibility: All participants in the competition must be 14-18 years old at the time of registration.
Launched by the University of Delaware's entrepreneurship department, the Diamond Challenge invites high school students across the world to compete in teams of 2-4 members, accompanied by a teacher. Every year, the team with the most promising idea wins prize money to fund their business venture, and support their higher education and entrepreneurial aspirations. Participants will benefit from networking opportunities, expert feedback, and potential future collaborations.
The competition involves five stages: submission round, pitch round, semifinal round, top 18 round, and final round. Teams can choose between two tracks: Business Innovation and Social Innovation. Initial submissions are made virtually and should include a written concept akin to a business plan with an excellent pitch. Semi-finalists are invited to the University of Delaware for the live competition.
Location: Initial stages are virtual and semi-finals are conducted live.
Cost: Free.
Prizes: Cash prizes of $4,500-12,000.
Competition Dates: Teams develop their concepts in September, culminating at the April Summit.
Application Deadline: Typically, it opens in August, with initial submissions due between late December and early January.
Eligibility: High school students in the U.S. and across the world.
3. Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition is a free, experiential investment challenge for high school students worldwide. Participants form teams of 4-7 students, guided by a teacher, and gain access to an online stock market simulator. Here, they learn about teamwork, risk management, strategy, industry analysis, and other investment aspects. Hosted by the well-regarded Wharton School of Business, the competition connects students with peers globally, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and enhancing finance skills.
Participation involves a ten-week program focused on pitch development, business analysis, portfolio building, and investment strategies. School teams participate and submit two deliverables for a chance to advance to the semi-final round. The top 10 teams earn the opportunity to pitch their ideas at the Wharton Global Finale for potential funding.
Location: Virtual pitching rounds with a final presentation at UPenn.
Cost: Free.
Prizes: The winning team gets a complimentary spot in the Wharton Online Summer Program.
Competition Dates: September - April.
Application Deadline: June - September.
Eligibility: All high school students in the U.S. and internationally.
Designed for high school students in grades 8-12, the Genius Olympiad is a global social responsibility competition. Participants can submit projects in various categories, including Art, Writing, Business, and Robotics. The competition's main objective is to invite solutions for environmental issues, with students participating in the Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurship categories.
In the Business category, participants need to create a business plan for a pro-environmental venture, working individually or in pairs. The plan must be 15 pages or fewer with a 2-page executive summary. Projects are presented as business pitches using PowerPoint or Prezi, limited to 10 minutes. Students are encouraged to bring models, mock-ups, or prototypes of their technology. Finalists will be invited to attend the GENIUS Olympiad event.
Location: Virtual and in-person (locations vary year on year).
Cost: $475.
Prizes: Certificates, renewable scholarships of up to $25,000.
Competition Dates: June.
Application Deadline: November - March.
Eligibility: High school students in grades 8-12 in the U.S. and internationally.
5. DECA
DECA competitions are a great opportunity to consider if you’re a high schooler looking to challenge yourself in the field of business. These competitions are conducted per National Curriculum Standards across essential career fields such as business management and administration, entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, and hospitality and tourism. First-year DECA members can learn and apply fundamental business concepts in a competitive format. As you progress through the competition, individual events will challenge you with complex business scenarios via role-plays in specialized career areas, allowing you to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting.
Team events will allow you to collaborate with peers to dissect and solve a case study related to your chosen career path. If research interests you, there are research-based competitions that will encourage you to design, conduct, and present findings on various topics. Students can choose to work on a start-up idea, entrepreneurship proposal, project management challenge, creating an innovative prototype, and more. These challenges help build critical thinking skills and a business-oriented mindset with practical hands-on experience.
Location: Conferences vary in location (different cities around the US) with virtual options too.
Cost: Fees vary.
Prizes: Certificates, awards, and cash prizes of up to $500.
Competition dates: Varies with most conferences held in April.
Application deadline: Applications typically close in November.
Eligibility: All high schools are eligible to join their schools’ chapters.
6. Business Professionals of America - BPA
Business Professionals of America (BPA) Competition’s Workplace Skills Assessment Program (WSAP) is an intra-curricular component of BPA, designed to combine real-world business skills and leadership development. The WSAP offers competitions in over 90 categories across six Assessment Areas: Finance, Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Digital Communication & Design, Management, Marketing & Communication, and Health Administration.
BPA also recognizes the challenges some students face with travel and budget constraints, and offers virtual competitions at the national level. These virtual events allow you to engage in national competitions without the need for regional or state qualifiers, ensuring that all BPA student members have the chance to compete, receive recognition, and showcase their skills regardless of their geographical or financial situations.
Location: Conferences vary in location (different cities around the US).
Cost: Membership fees vary.
Prizes: There is no information available on this right now.
Competition Dates: Varies by competition.
Application Deadline: Varies by competition.
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible.
7. Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) Competition
Founded in 2002, SAGE is an influential international network with the mission of nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders focused on social enterprises. SAGE hosts one of the top entrepreneurship competitions for high school students, guiding them to address global issues with innovative solutions. This annual challenge involves submitting an annual report and giving a live presentation for a sustainable business plan, with access to a curriculum and experienced mentors.
The competition progresses through state, regional, and national levels, culminating in the World Cup at various global locations. High school and undergraduate students are eligible to participate by forming a team, identifying a global need, and creating a social enterprise to address it. The process culminates in an international shortlisting, where your team if selected, will present your final pitch to a panel of judges.
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free.
Prizes: Certificates and cash prizes.
Competition Dates: August.
Application Deadline: August 2024.
Eligibility: All students between 13-19 years of age.
In the Conrad Challenge, students work in teams to work on an innovative business project. You’ll start by forming a team of 2-5 students and choosing a coach to guide you through the competition. The first stage, the Activation Stage, runs from August to November, in which you will register and start assembling your ideas and resources. This initial phase sets the groundwork for your project, pushing you to think strategically about the issues you want to address with your work, and the innovative solutions you can develop.
The next step in the challenge is the Lean Canvas Stage, where you will finalize your innovative idea and its category. This stage involves detailed planning using the Lean Canvas model to outline your project’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. Following this, you'll move into the Innovation Stage. Here, you’ll actualize your concept by writing a brief, producing a video, and designing a website to showcase your project. The challenge ends with the Power Pitch Stage, where finalists are invited to the Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit. At this event, you’ll present your project in front of a live panel of judges and compete for scholarships, entrepreneurial support, and the title of Pete Conrad Scholar.
Location: Virtual (Finalists make their pitch at Space Center Houston, TX).
Cost: Free.
Prizes: Scholarships, entrepreneurial support, and the Pete Conrad Scholar title.
Contest dates: November - April.
Application deadlines: November 3.
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 are eligible.
Bonus - Young Founders Lab
If you’re looking for an incubator program that helps you establish a developed startup in high school, consider the Young Founders Lab!
The Young Founders Lab is a real-world start-up bootcamp 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!
One other option - the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing research in fields like business or related fields, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!
Jessica attends Harvard University where she studies Neuroscience and Computer Science as a Coca-Cola, Elks, and Albert Shankar Scholar. She is passionate about educational equity and hopes to one day combine this with her academic interests via social entrepreneurship. Outside of academics, she enjoys taking walks, listening to music, and running her jewelry business!