15 Marketing Competitions for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 8 hours ago
- 17 min read
If you’re interested in marketing and want to get better at this skill early, marketing competitions for high school students are an excellent way to start. Marketing competitions involve tasks like building a campaign, studying consumer behavior, and deciding how to position a product or idea. You may work with data, create messaging, and present your approach within a fixed format. The focus is on how clearly you can think and communicate.
Why should I participate in a high school marketing competition?
Marketing competitions for high school students are built around application rather than instruction. Unlike programs where you learn concepts first and apply them later, competitions expect you to work with limited information, make decisions quickly, and justify them in a structured way.
That process is useful even without a result. You still go through research, positioning, messaging, and presentation. By the end, you have something concrete, a campaign or strategy that shows how you think. That kind of output is easier to present in college applications than general participation in a course.
With that, here are 15 marketing competitions for high school students!
If you’re looking for online summer research programs, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
Several competitions offer substantial cash prizes, including Diamond Challenge (up to $12,000), NFTE World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge ($5,000 for World Champion), St. John's University Pitch Competition ($2,500 first place), NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (over $2 million awarded historically), and Blue Ocean Competition ($500 to $1,000), while others like DECA and FBLA offer college scholarships alongside non-monetary recognition.
Competitions span a wide range of marketing and business formats including full campaign development (DECA Integrated Marketing Campaign, 4As ReACT), startup pitch competitions (Diamond Challenge, St. John's, Conrad Challenge), investment and financial marketing (Wharton Investment Competition), public speaking and message delivery (TED Global Public Speaking Challenge), social entrepreneurship (Citizen Entrepreneurship, Blue Ocean, NFTE), and business plan development (Harvard Crimson Business Competition, GYEC).
Several competitions are international, including Blue Ocean Competition, Conrad Challenge, NFTE World Youth Challenge, Citizen Entrepreneurship, GYEC, Wharton Investment Competition, TED Global Public Speaking Challenge, and Harvard Crimson Business Competition, giving students exposure to global peer competition and international judging panels.
Students looking for year-long structured extracurriculars with school-based chapters can join DECA or FBLA, both of which offer marketing competition tracks that run throughout the school year from local rounds through national and international finals.
Deadlines vary widely across the calendar year, with some competitions like SEAP (November) and Diamond Challenge (January 15) closing early, while others like Citizen Entrepreneurship (May 4) and Harvard Crimson Business Competition (May 15) close later in the spring, so students should map out competition calendars at the start of each school year.
Location: Remote; Limitless World Summit is hosted in Wilmington, DE
Cost/Prizes: 1st Place: $12,000 | Second Place: $8,000 | 3rd Place: $4,500 | Corporate-sponsored special awards are also given at varying amounts.
Acceptance rate/cohort size:
Dates: September 17 - April 24 (World Summit is held April 23-24)
Submission Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: High school students aged 14-18. Teams must consist of 2-4 students plus one adult advisor aged 21+. The competition is international.
The Diamond Challenge is a marketing-focused pitch competition in which you identify a target audience, define a market gap, and clearly position your idea. In both the Business Innovation and Social Innovation tracks, your work centers on how well you understand customer needs and how effectively you communicate your solution to that audience. You begin with a written concept that outlines the problem, your value proposition, how your idea stands apart from existing options, and a basic plan for revenue or sustainability. You also submit a short video introducing your idea. If you advance, you will build a pitch deck that focuses on messaging, audience fit, and communication clarity. At the final stage, you present at the Limitless World Summit, where you are judged on how effectively you market your idea through a timed pitch and Q&A.
Location: Held at school, district, state, and international levels, with the final round at the DECA International Career Development Conference in a different U.S. city each year.
Cost/Prizes: National dues $8 per member; state dues $8 to $12; event fees vary and may be partly covered by schools. Prizes range from $100 to $1,500; international qualifiers can receive a $5,000 Adobe award; additional awards available; five $2,000 college scholarships offered annually.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Policies vary across school club chapters. Advancing to state, national, and international competitions is extremely competitive.
Dates: Mid-August through March. Competition season generally runs from September to February. Additional awards, international qualifiers, and the International Conference are held in March and April.
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12 are eligible
DECA is a competitive high school extracurricular activity that provides simulated real-world experience in marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, and more. With 60 competitive events to choose from, marketing competitions are found in DECA’s Adobe-sponsored Integrated Marketing Campaign events, where you’ll simulate a full-cycle marketing initiative to pitch at tournaments. You’ll choose to compete in Events, Products, or Services, working with a team of 1-3 students to design a campaign for a charity event or healthcare services. At the competition, you’ll present a pitch deck to the judging panel, breaking down details such as the target market, campaign schedule, and budget to demonstrate the value and feasibility of your campaign. You’ll participate in a Q&A session with judges following the presentation. You’ll also complete a 100-question multiple-choice exam on concepts in marketing and business administration, which will be counted towards your team’s score. You can read more details about the structure of marketing competition events here.
Location: Primarily virtual; the Innovation Summit is held at Space Center Houston, Houston, TX.
Cost/Prizes: $499 per team per event; financial aid available. Prizes include a fully funded international trip to visit STEM institutions, networking with industry figures, patent support from IP attorneys, and academic scholarships.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely competitive; 30-35 teams are invited to the final summit (<2% of participating teams); top prizes are awarded to 5 teams (<0.25%)
Dates: Activation Stage: August - October | Innovation Stage: October - January | Power Pitch/Summit: Four days in April
Submission Deadline: Initial Submission: Late October | Innovation Stage Materials: early January | Finalist Materials: Early April | Financial Aid Applications: Early December
Eligibility: Teams of 2-5 students aged 13-18. Teams must have a coach aged 18+. The competition is international.
The Conrad Challenge is an 8-month international entrepreneurship and marketing competition focused on solving real-world global challenges through STEM-focused solutions. You’ll work to advance through three increasingly selective stages: Activation, Innovation, and Innovation Summit. You’ll begin with a brainstorming period and complete an initial marketing pitch during the Activation Stage, answering a series of questions on your market and business model. You’ll also choose the category in which you compete out of five options, including Energy and Environment, Cyber Technology and Security, and Aerospace and Aviation. In the following stages, you’ll develop a brief, video, and in-person slide deck, gaining marketing experience through strategically pitching your solution to a team of industry experts.
Location: Remote
Cost/Prizes: No cost. Prizes range from $500 - $1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive. Four International prizes are awarded out of over 12,700 participants. Three winners are recognized in each Region (Asia, North America, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, and Oceania).
Dates: Registration opens for the following year before the current competition cycle ends, though submissions are not due until late February. Final awards are announced in May.
Submission Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school students (ages 14-18) are eligible. The competition is international.
The Blue Ocean Competition is a contest in which you identify an untapped market and position a solution for it. Your work centers on defining a clear target audience, explaining the market gap, and showing how your idea creates demand. You develop a business concept, but the key is how you frame its value and communicate it through a 5-minute pitch video. You use Blue Ocean strategy tools to show differentiation, customer focus, and market positioning. The required mini-course builds your understanding of how to shape and present ideas for an audience. Your pitch is evaluated on how clearly you present value, reduce risk, and make the idea practical for a real market. Progression through rounds depends on how effectively you communicate and market your idea, including audience response through the People’s Choice voting.
Location: New York City, often in connection with UN-linked events
Prizes: World Champion: $5,000 | Runners-up (2): $1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive; competitors must have won a national NFTE-affiliated competition. The 1st place World Champion is recognized, and two runners-up are recognized.
Dates: National competitions throughout the year; world finals held in the fall (often November)
Submission Deadline: No direct global application; qualification through NFTE-affiliated programs
Eligibility: Student entrepreneurs aged 15-22. The competition is international
The NFTE World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge provides student business founders who have won global and national entrepreneurship competitions to compete for the title of World Champion. The Challenge is a three-day event, featuring networking events, personalized coaching, and professional development in addition to the competitive portion. You’ll begin with the Day of Learning, attending a series of interactive workshops on topics like entrepreneurial thinking and gaining global perspectives led by industry professionals. During the Day of Coaching, you will work privately with an experienced entrepreneur to receive guidance on finalizing your pitch and strategic approach. The Final Competition is held on the last day, where you’ll deliver your pitch to a judging panel of prestigious business leaders and participate in a public business expo. After the competition, you’ll attend a networking reception featuring venture capitalists, industry leaders, NFTE funders, and more. At the end of the evening, the World Champion team is announced.
Location: Remote
Cost/Prizes: Free. Monetary prizes are not offered; winners receive certification.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: March 2 - June 5
Submission Deadline: May 4
Eligibility: Students aged 13+ are eligible. The competition is international.
CEC is an international entrepreneurship and sustainability competition, providing marketing experience through its pitch-based structure. Either individually or in a small group, you’ll develop a competition submission detailing a plan to address one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, submitting a pitch to the judging team by early May. You’ll also need to complete two online courses — Brains versus Capital and Sustainable Entrepreneurship — to be eligible for the competition. Your work will enter the voting phase, which runs until early June; the top 10 submissions, based on the number of votes, will move to the finals. As a finalist, your work will be evaluated by an international expert jury with an emphasis on entrepreneurial vision, leadership, feasibility, innovation, sustainability, and social impact. A limited number of finalists will be named as winners. You’ll gain certification for your online coursework and participation, recognition for being named a finalist or winner, and exposure to international entrepreneurs.
Location: Initial rounds are held locally and regionally. Finals are held in New York City.
Cost/Prizes: Cash prizes awarded to winners
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive
Dates: Competition season runs for about 8 months; finals are held in early October.
Submission Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students aged 15-22
The National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is an 8-month competition for young business founders, providing recognition for business, innovation, and marketing skills through a multi-round pitch-based structure. While most pitch competitions focus on developing a plan for a future business, you’ll bring your existing personal business to the competition. You’ll begin by competing in a school or local competition, moving through a series of elimination rounds to advance to the final national round. At the finals, you’ll deliver a slide deck presentation on your marketing strategies, the motivation for your business, functionality, market analysis, and more. The top three finalists will present onstage to a live audience and a “VIP” judging panel. You’ll have a chance to win seed capital to further grow your company; over 2 million dollars have been awarded over the past 15 years.
Location: Multiple advertising agencies in NYC; varies by year.
Prizes: Varies; prizes are determined by company sponsors
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive; 3 teams are recognized.
Dates: Varies; final in-person competition is hosted in the spring
Eligibility: High school students attending Manhattan Early College School for Advertising (MECA) and the High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media (iAM)
The 4As Foundation’s ReACT competition is an annual opportunity for high school students to develop a real-world marketing proposal for a large-scale company. You’ll submit a response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) brief to the year’s industry partner, researching and designing a step-by-step marketing campaign including high-level strategy, media engagement plans, and partnership recommendations. Former RFPs include developing campaigns for a Spotify Premium for Family Plan and targeted consumer ads for Reebok. Working in a small group, you and your teammates will take on individual roles in the advertising industry, such as account manager, creative director, and senior strategist, to contribute specialized content to your submission. As you work on your campaign, you’ll receive resources and mentorship from industry professionals. You’ll present your marketing strategy to a panel of judges from top advertising agencies and executives from the company your campaign is supporting.
Location: Held at local, state, and national levels at varying venues
Cost/Prizes: Must pay FBLA dues and competition fees; costs vary and may be funded by your school. Non-monetary awards are given at competitions. FBLA participants are eligible for competitive scholarships.
Dates: Competitions take place throughout the school year
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Year-round
Eligibility: Students must be members of their school’s FBLA club
Future Business Leaders of America is a competition-based high school extracurricular offering career-focused competitive events in a wide array of Marketing fields and other areas of business. You’ll choose from options such as Marketing, Sales Presentations, Social Media Strategies, and Advertising, depending on your preferred area of the marketing industry. Event structures vary; options like Advertising are judged based on your performance on an exam, Social Media Strategies and Sales competitions are structured as individual or team presentations, and Marketing takes the form of a professional role play. Competitions are hosted at local, state, and national levels.
Location: St. John’s University, Queens, NY
Prizes: 1st: $2,500 | 2nd: $1,500 | 3rd: $1,000 plus a certificate of achievement for all finalists
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open registration; 5 finalists selected. 1st-3rd place winners are recognized with prizes.
Dates: March 16
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: High school students in groups of 1-3
The High School Pitch Competition at St. John’s University provides experience in startup and business development, marketing, and financial analysis, and a chance to win up to $2,500. You’ll work individually or with 1-2 other students to design an innovative business proposal in a sector of your choice with mentorship from a current business student at St. John’s. During the first round of competition, you’ll deliver a 3-minute pitch, marketing your startup to circulating judges. The top 5 teams will advance to the Shark Tank Finals, where you’ll deliver your pitch in a more formal setting, including a full business plan, financial projections, growth strategies, and a market analysis. You’ll be evaluated based on innovation and creativity, market potential, team energy, and the quality of your marketing presentation by a panel of judges, including St. John faculty entrepreneurs and external business leaders. At the end of the competition, you’ll receive personalized feedback from judges and attend a networking dinner.
Location: Remote
Cost/Prizes: Registration Fee: 10,000 yen | Prizes: Trophy and certificate of achievement
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive; 1st and 2nd place winners are recognized from an international pool.
Dates: Preliminary Round: Mid-May | Final Round: Mid-to-late June
Submission Deadline: Late April
Eligibility: High school students aged 14-18 in teams of 3-8. The competition is international
The GYEC is an international competition in business and innovation, focusing on developing sustainable business models and marketing your ideas to judges through two rounds of 12-hour competitions. In each round, you’ll be provided a specific world challenge in a topic area such as social welfare or education. You’ll then develop a business solution to the issue, which you’ll detail in a two-page written document proposal and a three-minute video pitch submission. In the Preliminary Round, you’ll compete within your home country to earn a spot at the international Final Round - only the three top teams from each participating country will advance. You’ll be evaluated based on the strength of your marketing, communication, finance, and production strategies, as well as creativity and innovation. The top two teams from the international round will receive awards; all participants will receive feedback on their work.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Prizes: Registration Fee: $30/student | Prizes vary
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive.
Dates: Competition: Two weekends in July | Awards Ceremony: One day in late July
Registration Deadline: Mid-June
Eligibility: Students in grades K-12 may participate. High schoolers are evaluated in the Grades 7-12 category.
The National Innovator Challenge tests high schoolers’ skills in marketing and invention through a competition featuring product design and pitch presentations. You’ll design and execute an independently-developed invention addressing an issue in healthcare, technology, education, and/or the environment. You’ll track your research and development throughout the invention process; after developing your prototype, you’ll develop a PowerPoint Presentation and a pitch video to submit to NIC for judge evaluation. The top teams are invited to deliver a live virtual presentation for the final round, where you’ll be evaluated both on the strength of your marketing strategies and the quality of your innovation. Past Innovative Excellence winners’ innovations include developing an adaptive guitar for people with hand mobility disabilities, literacy intervention technologies, and insoles to support walking for people with cerebral palsy. Special awards for Best Logbook, Best Research, and Top Runner Up are also awarded, as are a select number of corporate partner awards.
Location: Remote; the Global Finale is held at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (remote participation is available)
Cost/Prizes: Free. No monetary awards are given, but prizes can be seen here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive; 50 teams are invited to Semifinals, and 10 are invited to Finals.
Dates: June 30 (Registration opens) - April 25 (Learning Day & Global Finale; by invitation only)
Deadlines: September 12 (Registration Deadline) | Teams must make at least one trade by October 10 to remain eligible
Eligibility: Current high school students; teams must be composed of 4-6 students from the same school. Each team must have a designated student team leader aged 16+ and a faculty advisor. Home school students may participate, but must meet additional criteria. The competition is international.
In the Wharton Global Youth Program Investment Competition, you’ll compete with an international cohort while building skills in financial analysis, trading, and marketing. You’ll work in a team of 4-6 students to build and manage a simulated stock market portfolio of $500,000, investing in cash, stocks, exchange-traded funds, and more. Tailoring your investment strategy to a hypothetical client, you’ll track your investments, ensure diversification and risk, and conduct market research. Based on a written report, a select group of teams will advance towards a presentation-based Semifinalist Round, followed by an in-person Global Finale. While the competition focuses primarily on investment, submission requirements and evaluation criteria emphasize strong marketing skills - reports (and presentations, if you advance forward) center on pitching the strategic value of your investment approach. You’ll be evaluated on the quality of your portfolio and research, alignment with your client’s goals, and the strength and creativity of your pitch.
Location: Remote
Cost/Prizes: Full or partial tuition scholarship to the TED Summer School
Acceptance rate/cohort size:
Dates: The competition begins in late January; results are announced in late March. The TED Summer School runs in July-August
Submission Deadline: Late February
Eligibility: High school students aged 14-18. Students are recommended to have an English proficiency level of B2 or higher. The competition is international.
The TED Global Public Speaking Challenge challenges high school students to create a short video that conveys an original message. You’ll work from the competition’s prompt for the year to develop a one-minute speech conveying an authentic story and opinion you find important. While not a typical marketing competition, the Challenge focuses on delivering a convincing, compelling message for novel ideas, with strong alignment with marketing techniques. With roots in Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial community, TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conferences also hold a strong connection to the world of business-focused communication. If you’re named a winner, you’ll receive a full or partial scholarship to attend one of the TED Summer Schools in London, New York, Singapore, or online.
Location: Primarily virtual (Preliminary Round); Championship Round held in-person at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Prizes: Preliminary Round: $50 per submission | Championship Round: $300 per person. No monetary prizes are awarded; winners receive recognition, mentorship from Harvard students, and networking opportunities with industry professionals.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive; only the top participants from the global Preliminary Round are invited to the Championship Round.
Dates: December (Preliminary Round registration opens) – June 25-28 (Championship Round at Harvard University)
Submission Deadline: May 15 (Preliminary Round closes); Championship Round registration closes in May
Eligibility: Middle and high school students in grades 6-12 (ages 13-18). Teams of 3-8 students in the Preliminary Round, reduced to 3-4 for the Championship Round. Individual participation is also allowed. The competition is international and divided into a Junior Division (Grades 6-9) and Senior Division (Grades 10-12).
The Harvard Crimson Business Competition is a two-round international competition in which you develop a business idea built around one of several defined global challenges. You begin by selecting a problem area, such as climate-conscious transport, food security, or cybersecurity, and then shape your solution within a specific industry focus, like technology or sustainability. The first stage involves building a detailed business plan and presenting it in a 14–18-slide deck, where you clearly explain your idea, model, and strategy. If selected for the final round, you travel to Harvard’s campus and take part in a multi-day event where the format shifts to live presentations and direct interaction. You present your idea to judges, respond to questions, and refine your approach through feedback from mentors and participants. The setting is structured but competitive, with teams presenting similar ideas from different parts of the world.
Frequently asked questions
What types of marketing competitions are available for high school students?
Options include startup pitch competitions (Diamond Challenge, St. John's, Conrad Challenge, Blue Ocean), full campaign development competitions (DECA Integrated Marketing Campaign, 4As ReACT), social entrepreneurship competitions (Citizen Entrepreneurship, NFTE, GYEC), investment pitch competitions (Wharton Investment Competition), public speaking and message delivery competitions (TED Global Public Speaking Challenge), invention and innovation marketing competitions (U.S. National Innovator Challenge), and business plan competitions (Harvard Crimson Business Competition, FBLA).
Which marketing competitions offer the largest cash prizes?
Diamond Challenge offers up to $12,000 for first place with additional corporate-sponsored awards. NFTE World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge awards $5,000 to the World Champion. St. John's University Pitch Competition awards $2,500 for first place. NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge has awarded over $2 million in seed capital across its history. Blue Ocean Competition awards $500 to $1,000. Several competitions including DECA and FBLA offer college scholarships rather than direct cash prizes.
Which competitions are best for students interested in developing a full marketing campaign?
DECA Integrated Marketing Campaign events are the most structured option, requiring a complete campaign including target market research, messaging strategy, budget, and media plan, presented to judges with a Q&A component. The 4As Foundation ReACT Competition is highly professional, requiring students to respond to a real Request for Proposals from a major brand like Spotify or Reebok with a step-by-step marketing campaign.
Are there marketing competitions open to individual students rather than teams?
FBLA offers individual event options in categories like Marketing and Advertising. TED Global Public Speaking Challenge is an individual submission competition. U.S. National Innovator Challenge allows individual participation. St. John's University Pitch Competition allows individual entry. DECA and most pitch competitions prefer teams of two to four students.
Which competitions are free or low-cost for high school students?
Blue Ocean Competition, Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition, NFTE competitions, and Wharton Investment Competition are all free to enter. FBLA and DECA require membership dues and event fees, though these are often covered by school chapters. Conrad Challenge has a $499 team fee but offers financial aid. Harvard Crimson Business Competition charges $50 for the preliminary round and $300 per person for the championship round.
When should I start preparing for marketing competitions as a high school student?
Diamond Challenge registration opens in September with a January 15 submission deadline, so preparation should begin in the fall. Wharton Investment Competition registration closes September 12. Conrad Challenge runs August through April with multiple submission stages. DECA and FBLA competition seasons run from September through April. Blue Ocean Competition opens registration before the previous cycle ends with submissions due February 22. Students should identify competitions of interest in the summer before the school year and plan their submission timelines accordingly.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here, check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.