UDC Capital Cup Entrepreneurship Competition 2026
University of the District of Columbia — School of Business and Public Administration
📌About the Event
The UDC Capital Cup Entrepreneurship Competition 2026 is a global student startup pitch competition by the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). It invites high school innovators from around the world to develop a new business/product/service idea with international market potential and pitch it to judges. The 2026 theme is International Business Entrepreneurship Plan, and the competition is supported in part by the National Science Foundation through UDC’s AIR initiative.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Theme: International Business Entrepreneurship Plan
- Mode: Hybrid
- Qualifying round: Online video pitch on YouTube
- Final round: In-person pitch at UDC, Washington, D.C.
- Pitch format: Students create a new product/service concept and explain its global market potential.
- Finalist note: Finalists must manage their own travel, lodging, and visa arrangements.
- Best for: Students interested in entrepreneurship, startups, business planning, global markets, innovation, AI-driven solutions, and pitching.
📅 Important Dates
- Registration deadline: June 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
- Qualifier results: July 15, 2026
- Final competition: August 13, 2026
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibility: Open to high school students worldwide.
- Team size: Up to 3 students per team.
- Language: English-only competition.
- Qualifying round rules:
- Submit the official online registration form.
- Create a maximum 4-minute video pitch.
- Upload the video to YouTube.
- Videos longer than 240 seconds will not be evaluated.
- The UDC Capital Cup Committee will evaluate submissions and select five finalist teams.
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- Recognition: Top teams get to pitch in front of expert judges at the national/international final round in Washington, D.C.
- Mentorship/value: UDC describes the Capital Cup as offering valuable feedback and mentorship to student teams.
- Startup support: UDC’s SBPA events page mentions startup funds for winning teams, but the exact 2026 prize amount is not specified on the official 2026 competition page.
- Final selection: From the five finalist teams, the overall winning team will be selected.