Young Entrepreneurship Competition

Attention High School Teachers & Students

High school students are invited to compete in the 2019 Young Entrepreneurship Competition. The competition encourages high school students from West Virginia to use their creativity and business skills to design and develop a business plan and pitch.

Through stages of the competition (official dates of each stage are outlined herein), students use a Lean Canvas business plan model that  encourages focusing on the logic behind the business and finding critical aspects to success. The students work with mentors here at the center, which provide feedback on the developing plan, through various checkpoints in the competition.

The top ten teams will successfully advance to the final stage: a pitch presentation at the 15th Annual Small Farm Conference on February 15, 2019. This stage will give students the opportunity to present their Lean Canvas to professionals. These professionals will evaluate the student’s business plan and their communication skills, poise, and professionalism in pitching their plan. The judges will then choose the best overall business plan. These awardees will receive certificates and monetary prizes towards starting their businesses.

Young Entrepreneurship Competition Finalists & Winners

The top five (5) competitors will receive recognition on stage at 3:45 p.m., on the Friday of the conference (same day as the competition) and a certificate. The top three (3) of those will also receive a monetary prize.

Young Entrepreneurship Competition Prizes

1st Place - $1500

2nd Place - $1000

3rd Place - $750

Young Entrepreneurship Competition Rules & Entry

Reminder: Schools may bring multiple teams with one to four (1-4) members. Only, the highest placing FFA team of four (4) members will advance to the National Agricultural Sales Competition at the 2019 National FFA Convention!  

**If your students are interested at all in the competition please follow the link below and complete our interest form by November 30, 2018. By completing this form you are enrolling to continue receiving contact about the contest. This is not an official registration, but rather just a show of interest. Official entrance in the contest will  be received as the first submission of the Lean Canvas Business Plan and Financial Sheets.

Enter the Young Entrepreneurship Competition

**The link below is a google drive folder with all necessary documents for the contest including: contest rubric, directions on how to turn in necessary materials on leanstack.com (lean canvas model), and financial sheets.These materials will also be made available on a flash drive (in limited quantities) to those in attendance at the Ag Teacher Summit on November 8, 2018.

Browse the Young Entrepreneurship Competition Documentation

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