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Pitch competition planner

Enter your event date and a few details. Get a week-by-week timeline, a judging rubric for your audience, pitch timing, and a checklist, free and without an account.

Your plan

Pitch Competition

In person · High school students · Sat, Jan 16, 2027

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Timeline

  1. Sat, Oct 24, 202612 weeks before

    Set the foundation

    Decide prizes, eligibility, rules, and judging criteria. Recruit judges and sponsors now; judges' calendars fill early.

  2. Sat, Nov 7, 202610 weeks before

    Open applications

    Publish the rules and the application. Ask for a short idea summary, school, and grade for each member and, if you want it, a deck.

    Application form
  3. Sat, Dec 5, 20266 weeks before

    Send a reminder

    Remind everyone who started but has not submitted, and promote one last time.

    Broadcast
  4. Sat, Dec 12, 20265 weeks before

    Close applications

    Expect around 40 teams. Number every team so judges can score by number.

    Team numbers
  5. Sat, Dec 19, 20264 weeks before

    Screening round

    Judges score written applications on the rubric. Two or three judges per application evens out differences.

    Judging form
  6. Sat, Jan 2, 20272 weeks before

    Announce 8 finalists

    Tell finalists. Send the pitch time sign-up.

    Time slot sign-up
  7. Wed, Jan 6, 202710 days before

    Parent consent for minors

    Collect guardian consent, a photo release, and emergency contacts for students under 18 attending in person.

    Guardian consent
  8. Wed, Jan 6, 202710 days before

    Attendee details

    Collect dietary and accessibility needs from everyone attending in person.

    Follow-up form
  9. Sat, Jan 9, 20277 days before

    Brief judges and lock decks

    Send judges the rubric, schedule, and conflict-of-interest guidance. Collect final decks so the run of show has no laptop swaps.

    Shareable judge link
  10. Sat, Jan 16, 2027Event day

    Competition day

    8 pitches of 5 minutes plus Q&A. Judges score from their phones; results rank as scores come in.

    Results
  11. Sat, Jan 23, 20277 days after

    Share feedback and thank people

    Release judge comments to every team, thank judges and sponsors, and note what to change next year.

    Judge feedback

Judging rubric

Each judge scores every pitch 1 to 5 on each criterion. Average the totals across judges; the highest average wins.

CriterionWhat judges look forPoints
ProblemA real problem the team understands, ideally one they have seen firsthand.1 to 5
Solution and creativityAn original idea that clearly solves the problem.1 to 5
Customer understandingWho would use or pay for it, and how the team knows.1 to 5
PresentationClear, organized, on time, and confident answers in Q&A.1 to 5
TeamworkEvery member contributes and the team works well together.1 to 5
Total25

Pitch day timing

5 minper pitch
3 minjudge Q&A
1 h 22 minfor 8 finalists, with changeovers and breaks

Add 20 to 30 minutes for judge deliberation before awards.

Checklist

  • Written rules: eligibility, team size, pitch length, judging criteria, and how ties are broken
  • Prizes confirmed, and how and when winners receive them
  • Judges recruited: at least three for finals and enough to give each application two screening reads
  • Conflict-of-interest rule: judges skip teams they advise or know personally
  • Parent consent and photo release for every student under 18
  • Venue, A/V, a timer visible to presenters, and a backup laptop
  • Food plan with dietary needs covered
  • Run of show with pitch order, breaks, deliberation time, and the awards moment
  • Feedback for every team, not only the winners

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Questions about running a pitch competition

What is a pitch competition?

A pitch competition is an event where teams or founders present an idea or business to a panel of judges, who score each pitch on the same criteria to pick winners, often for prizes, funding, or mentorship.

How are pitch competitions judged?

Each judge scores every pitch on a rubric, usually four to six criteria such as the problem, the solution, the market, feasibility, and presentation, each on a 1 to 5 scale. Totals are averaged across judges, and the highest average wins.

How long should each pitch be?

Three to five minutes plus three to five minutes of judge questions works for most competitions. Shorter pitches suit large fields; student teams usually need the full five minutes.

How far ahead should we start planning?

About 12 weeks before the event gives time to recruit judges, run an application window of about five weeks, screen applications, and give finalists two weeks to prepare. This planner compresses the schedule if you have less time.

How many finalists should we invite?

Six to ten finalists keeps a final round under about two hours. Use the planner to see how long the pitch block runs for your number of finalists.

Is this planner free?

Yes. Use it as often as you like, print it, or email it to yourself. Applicantly can run the competition itself, from applications to judging, with a 14-day free trial.