Deadline: December 17, 2018
Applications are invited for the Diamond Challenge 2018. The Diamond Challenge provides students from around the world the opportunity to pursue their passions through entrepreneurship.
The Diamond Challenge provides a unique opportunity for teens to learn about entrepreneurship while putting their ideas into action. While many entrepreneurship programs focus on principles of small business management, the Diamond Challenge focuses on unleashing creativity, encouraging a mindset of abundance and self-determination, and promoting purposeful entrepreneurial action.
Created by University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship in 2012, the Diamond Challenge is backed by academic grounding in state-of-the-art entrepreneurship education methodologies.
Competition Tracks
- Business Innovation: If the primary purpose is to solve a customer problem that by doing so will generate revenue and profit, then the business innovation competition is right for you. The business innovation competition focuses on the development and validation of new business models.
- Social Innovation: If the primary purpose is to solve a social problem and make a positive impact on people or the environment, then the social innovation competition is right for you. The social innovation competition focuses on the development of new, social innovation models that may include revenue-generating nonprofit organizations and mission-driven, for-profit ventures.
Benefits
- The Diamond Challenge provides students from around the world the opportunity to pursue their passions through entrepreneurship
- Participants are able to put their ideas in to action by utilizing the online Diamond Challenge video curriculum
- Participants have the opportunity to gain new perspectives and grow their network by interacting with students from around the world
- All participants will learn the entrepreneurial process and get one step closer to changing the world
Prizes
Semifinalists receive an invitation to travel to the University of Delaware to compete in the semifinal round. Top prizes include additional funding that may be used to support the team’s idea or serve as a scholarship to attend any school in the world. Semifinalists are awarded an in-kind $5000 package that includes tickets to the Summit, hotel accommodations for up to three nights, meals during the conference, and access to speakers, mentors and innovators.
Top Prize Awards
- 1st Place: A prize package worth over $16,000, including the in-kind $5,000 semifinalist package
- 2nd Place: A prize package worth over $12,000, including the in-kind $5,000 semifinalist package
- 3rd Place: A prize package worth over $8,500, including the in-kind $5,000 semifinalist package
Eligibility
- If you want to participate, you must be a high school student in 9-12 grade/form;
- The Challenge is a completely free competition to high school students all around the world;
- Applicants should have only one team leader.
Competition Pitching
- Virtual: If there is not a pitch event near you, or the competition track you selected is not available in your state/country, you can submit an idea and compete virtually. Based on submission round scores, eligible teams will be invited to submit a pitch video during the second round of the competition.
- Live: If there is a pitch event near you, and the competition track you selected is available in your state/country, based on submission round scores, eligible teams will be invited to pitch live in front of judges.
Application
The following are submission requirements:
- Written Concept: Student teams are required to submit no longer than a 5-page written concept.
- Pitch Deck: Student teams are required to submit a pitch deck comprised of no more than 15 slides
- Pitch Virtual competitors will submit a recorded video pitch. Eligible and invited live competitors will present an in person pitch.
For more information, visit Diamond Challenge.
