America’s Startup Contest Application

What will you build for America’s future?

Submit your startup idea through a written proposal and a short pitch video.

Submissions will be accepted from Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. ET through Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Submission Guidelines

• Eligibility: You must be an undergraduate student enrolled at an accredited U.S. college, university, or trade school and a legal resident of the U.S., D.C., or a U.S. territory (age 13+).
• One entry only: You may only participate in one submission.
• Teams: You may apply solo or with a team. You can include up to four (4) Proposal Partners in a team.
• What you’ll submit:
  • Mission statement (max 100 words)
  • Why your Business Entity is necessary (max 500 words)
  • Pitch video (max 2 minutes)

Judging Criteria

All submissions will be evaluated using a national scoring rubric. Each proposal is scored across seven equally weighted categories on a 1-5 scale, where 1 = lowest score and 5 = highest score.

• Why You — Why This Team
• Attractiveness of Market / Market Size
• Product (Insight + Direction)
• Barrier to Entry (Future Moat)
• Competitive Landscape
• Supply Chain / Execution Path
• Business Model

Important note:

• Do not include confidential information, trade secrets, or sensitive IP details. Submissions should be considered public disclosure.
• Use of AI to create the proposal or pitch video is prohibited. Please refer to the Official Contest Rules.

What Happens Next?

Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts using the rubric described above. Selected teams may advance through additional review stages, with top teams invited to an in-person pitch experience.

• Contest information and resources
• Frequently asked questions
• Official contest rules

Questions? Contact Startupinquiries@america250.org