Free Entrepreneurship Programs for High School Students

Free entrepreneurship programs — pitch competitions, university incubator camps, nonprofit accelerators — hand you the network and mentorship without the four-figure business-camp price tag.

The competitions on this page double as funding: win a pitch prize and your idea pays for its own next step.

43 verified programs match this page; 30 of the featured listings are completely free; 12 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition — Blue Ocean Global Network: Join the world’s largest virtual pitch competition for high school students. Build entrepreneurship skills, boost your college applications, and showc
• Yale Entrepreneurial Society High School Fellowship — Yale Entrepreneurial Society: Master entrepreneurship skills in this free 8-week virtual fellowship for high school students. Build startups, strengthen college applications, and l
• Nonprofit Founder (501(c)(3)) — IRS / State Government: Launch your own 501(c)(3) nonprofit and gain leadership, entrepreneurship, and hands-on experience. Boost college applications while making a real-wor
• Conrad Challenge: Innovation Competition — Conrad Foundation: Create innovative solutions to real-world problems in categories like aerospace, cybersecurity, health, and energy. Win scholarships and recognition.
• Thiel Fellowship (Under 20) — Thiel Foundation: Prestigious $100,000 fellowship for young entrepreneurs under 22 to skip or leave college and pursue startup ideas with two years of funding, mentorsh
• DECA Scholarship Program — DECA Inc.: DECA awards over $5 million in scholarships annually to its members, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $50,000. Scholarships reward excellence in bus
• FBLA Scholarship Program — Future Business Leaders of America: FBLA-PBL offers multiple scholarships for active FBLA members pursuing business-related degrees. Awards recognize academic excellence, community servi
• Thiel Fellowship Under 20 — Thiel Foundation: $100,000 grant over 2 years to skip college and build a startup. Past fellows have founded companies worth billions. Extremely prestigious for entrepr
• Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) National Competition — YEA!: National pitch competition for YEA! entrepreneurs. Students compete with businesses launched through YEA! program.
• SXSW Pitch Competition — SXSW: Pitch startup at South by Southwest. Student category.
• TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield — TechCrunch: Startup competition at major tech conference. Present to investors.
• Virtual Enterprise International Business Plan Competition — Virtual Enterprises International: Business plan competition culminating at international finals. Students run simulated companies and pitch to real business judges.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge — NFTE: National pitch competition. Winners receive seed funding and mentorship.
• Future Founders Launchpad — Future Founders: Premier youth entrepreneurship program with accelerator, pitch competitions, and $10K startup grants.
• 1517 Fund Fellowship — 1517 Fund: Venture capital for young founders. Skip college and build startups.
• Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) — Entrepreneurs' Organization: World's premier competition for student entrepreneurs. Regional, national, and global rounds. Cash prizes and mentorship. Validates real business achi
• Diamond Challenge National Finalist — University of Delaware: Global HS entrepreneurship competition. Business concept and social venture tracks. $100k+ in prizes.
• Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) World Cup — SAGE Global: Global social entrepreneurship competition. Teams run social enterprises.
• New Venture Championship (High School Track) — University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business: High school business pitch contest linked to the University of Oregon’s New Venture Championship, focused on entrepreneurship and startups.
• Pirates Pitch Competition — Seton Hall University: Compete in a Shark Tank-style high school pitch competition to develop entrepreneurship skills, gain hands-on experience, and boost your college appli
• Y Combinator Startup School — Y Combinator: Master startup skills in a free 8-week online course for high schoolers. Build entrepreneurial expertise, boost college applications, and learn from i
• Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC) — EntrePlanet: Compete globally in this free online entrepreneurship competition for high schoolers. Build teamwork, innovate business ideas, and boost college appli
• Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge — Lassonde Institute: Compete in the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, a free high school competition that builds business skills, boosts college applications, and offers hands-
• Lemonade Day National Competition — Lemonade Day: Empower your entrepreneurial spirit in this hybrid national competition for high school students. Gain hands-on business experience and boost your col
• NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards — National Federation of Independent Business: Earn recognition and awards for your small business in this virtual competition for high school entrepreneurs. Boost college applications and showcase
• Published App Developer — Apple / Google: Develop and publish your own app on the App Store or Google Play! Gain hands-on app development experience, boost college applications, and showcase y
• Virtual Enterprises International — Virtual Enterprises International: Run a simulated business, compete in global trade shows, and build entrepreneurship skills. Perfect for high schoolers boosting college applications a
• Entrepreneurship World Cup Student Track — Global Silicon Valley: Compete in the Entrepreneurship World Cup Student Track to pitch your startup ideas, gain hands-on business experience, and boost your college applica
• Harvard Social Innovation Collaborative Challenge — Harvard University: Transform your ideas into impact in this free virtual competition for high school students. Build entrepreneurial skills and boost your college applic
• National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo — USPTO: Showcase your invention at a national competition for grades 4-12! Gain hands-on STEM experience, boost creativity, and stand out on college applicati

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