Deadline Date: February 22, 2026
The Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition is a leading virtual pitch competition designed to prepare high school students worldwide for real-world entrepreneurship while empowering them to create innovative blue ocean businesses.
The competition emphasizes global participation, virtual pitching, blue ocean strategy, entrepreneurship education, opportunity creation, risk minimization, differentiation combined with low cost, systematic innovation, structured tools and templates, student and teacher engagement, practical learning, recognition for participation and achievement, and global accessibility for high school students. This prestigious competition attracts thousands of high school-aged entrepreneurs each year who present their innovative business ideas to experienced entrepreneurs and business professionals. Participants receive valuable feedback, engage with a global community of like-minded peers, and compete for thousands of dollars in cash prizes while gaining hands-on entrepreneurial experience.
Unlike traditional pitch competitions that often treat innovation as a high-risk endeavor and require face-to-face presentations or an existing startup, the Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition provides a structured methodology that significantly reduces risk. Students are encouraged to pursue both differentiation and low cost, and they are supported with proven tools and templates to help them build and communicate their business ideas effectively. The competition is inspired by the global bestseller Blue Ocean Strategy by Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, which challenges students to look at the world with a new perspective, identify opportunities beyond existing boundaries, and create growth where others see constraints. Through this approach, students learn to solve problems that have never been solved before using systematic frameworks and innovative thinking.
Recognition for the competition extends beyond student participation, as it has been shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Ideas Into Practice Award for its impact in stimulating business innovation in high schools. Students, teachers, judges, sponsors, ambassadors, and global partners all play key roles in making the competition accessible and impactful on a global scale.
Participation is open to high school students competing individually or in teams of up to four members. Students identify a pressing global problem or an untapped market space, develop a unique business idea, and submit a structured five-minute video pitch using the blue ocean pitch template through an online platform. Through participation, students gain practical entrepreneurial experience, strengthen their communication and teamwork skills, enhance college applications, receive feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs, and have the opportunity to win cash prizes for themselves and their schools while engaging in a challenging and rewarding global competition.
For more information, visit Blue Ocean Entrepreneurship Competition.
