Entrepreneurship

The Diamond Challenge, created by the University of Delaware’s Horn Entrepreneurship department, is an entrepreneurship competition for high school students from all over the world. Competing teams may be comprised of two to four high school students and one teacher. Teams must choose between two tracks: Business Innovation or Social Innovation. It is a five-step competition, with a submission round, a pitch round, a semi-final round, a top 18 round, and a final round. Registration typically opens in August, with initial submissions due somewhere between late December and early January. 

Initial submissions must include both a written concept narrative, similar to a business plan and a pitch deck. While the early rounds of pitching must be done through virtual submissions, semifinalists do receive an invitation to compete live at the University of Delaware for the semifinal round, which usually occurs in February or March. 

Prizes were given to first, second, and third place winners range from $5,500 to $13,000. The Diamond Challenge does not fully enable teams to turn their ideas into real businesses or meet face-to-face with advisors or investors. However, it does offer resources to help participants complete their submissions, and it also holds an annual three-day Summit following the competition. The three-day Summit is an opportunity for students to learn from and engage with mentors and speakers, as well as network with entrepreneurial peers.

The Blue Ocean Entrepreneurship Competition is unique because it is the largest student-founded and student-run entrepreneurship competition in the US. Registration is typically in December; competitors must submit a pitch by mid-January. The pitch requirements are simply three to five-minute pitch videos explaining and presenting the idea. Throughout February, submissions are narrowed down to a top 50 and top 25, and in March, a top 10 is selected from which winners are announced in mid-March. Prizes range from $500 to $1000 per winner, and high schools with the most submissions also receive a $1000 reward.