Calling All High School Entrepreneurs!

The goal of the Hendricks County Student Pitch Competition is to inspire and cultivate the spirit of entrepreneurship among high school students, promoting innovation, creativity, and critical thinking. By providing a platform for young minds to pitch their business ideas, we aim to validate and encourage the use of the design thinking process, fostering a community that supports and nurtures the next generation of visionary leaders. This initiative highlights the valuable education and potential in Hendricks County, empowering students to make a positive impact on their communities and beyond.
Student Pitch Competition Project Goals and Objectives (pdf)

The Hendricks County Student Pitch Competition is Sponsored by these generous companies and organizations:
2024-25 HENDRICKS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

Student Pitch Competition

Enter to win cash scholarship prizes courtesy of our partners at the Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation, My IT Indy, and the Danville Chamber of Commerce.
Students who live or attend school in Hendricks County, Indiana are encouraged to apply by November 15th, 2024.  Pitch videos with slide decks are due December 20th.

Questions?  Email Level Two's Student Pitch Committee at [email protected]

Step 1 : Submit Application

Complete the application with Executive Summary by November 15th, 2024.

Step 3 : Present Live

10 Finalists will present their pitches live to a panel of judges at Level Two.

Part 1: Prepare Your Executive Summary

PLAN – Teams must create a 1-3 slide Executive Summary

The Executive Summary should:

– Explain the purpose of the business

– Tell what the business will provide (product/service/platform/system)

– Give the Mission Statement

– Describe the Target Market

Part 2: Submit Pitch Video and Slide Deck

PITCH – Remaining teams should submit a 3-5 minute video presentation that can include up to 10 slides; Up to 10 teams advance to Final Round

The Round 2 Presentation should:

– Contain the Info from the Executive Summary

– Market Analysis

– Competitive Analysis

– Display professionalism

– Have an organized presentation

Part 3: Present for a CASH Prize!

PRESENT – The Finalists will present a 5-10 minute in-person (or virtual) presentation of their business that can include up to 20 slides;

The Final Round Presentation should:

– Contain all the information from round 1 and 2

– Funding Sources

– Financial Feasibility

– Demonstrate business etiquette

Competition Rules and Guidelines

Please review the following list of rules for the competition:

  1. All participants of the competition must be a grade 9-12 high school student enrolled in public, private, or home school in Hendricks County.

  2. Participants must register for the competition by December 6th

  3. Participants may compete individually or as a team. If participating as a team, no more than three students may be on a team. Teams may consist of students from different high schools as long as they reside in the county.

  4. The business idea can be for a product, service, platform, or system.

  5. Teams moving beyond the first round should demonstrate that customer validation has been completed.

  6. In order to be eligible for the $5,000 CASH grand prize, participants of the competition should complete the following deliverables:

Part 1: Plan – Executive Summary – Due With Pitch Video

Part 2: Pitch – Short Video with Slide Deck – Due December 20th

Part 3: Present – Present in Person – On February 3rd, 2024

Mentor Q&A

  1. All teams MUST register by December 6th and submit their video and slide deck by December 20th.

  2. Participants MUST read and agree to the rules of the competition.

  3. While there are criteria and scoring guides for the judging of the business plans, all decisions made by the judging panel are final.

  4. Please note that these rules may be subject to change.

Round 1 Resources:

In General:

Give the Mission Statement and explain the purpose of the business

Tell what the business will provide (product/service/platform/system)

Briefly describe the Target Market

Round 2 Resources:

General

Market Analysis

Competitive Analysis

Display professionalism

Have an organized presentation

Round 3 Resources:

General

Funding Sources

Financial Feasibility

Demonstrate business etiquette