The Vermont Pitch Challenge is a free annual entrepreneurship competition hosted by the University of Vermont (UVM), open to high school students in grades 10–12 from around the world. Students pitch innovative business ideas with positive community or global impact, competing for substantial prizes including full-tuition scholarships to UVM.
Prize structure:
- Grand Prize: Full UVM tuition and comprehensive fee scholarship awarded to each member of the winning team (contingent on UVM admission)
- 2nd & 3rd Place: $5,000 cash prize per team
- 4th & 5th Place: $1,000 cash prize per team
Competition format:
- Submit a written business proposal (maximum 5 pages), a YouTube video pitch (maximum 4 minutes), or an audio recording (maximum 4 minutes)
- Compete solo or in teams of up to 3 students
- Five finalists are selected and invited to pitch in-person at UVM's Burlington campus in April
- Winners announced at the in-person finals event
Timeline (annual):
- October 15: Submissions open
- Late January: Live virtual Q&A panel for applicants
- February 15: Submission deadline
- March: Five finalists announced
- April: In-person finals at UVM
Note: The grand prize scholarship is contingent upon admission to UVM. Winning the Vermont Pitch Challenge does not guarantee automatic admission.