Call for Applications: Diamond Challenge ($100K Prize Pool)

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The Diamond Challenge invites young minds from any country to embark on a global journey to turn their passions into business or social venture concepts, competing for a prize pool. Teams harness the Diamond Challenge curriculum, global network, and exclusive opportunities for an unforgettable experience! Apply now to be part of this exciting competition.

The Diamond Challenge, a philanthropic education initiative by Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware, provides free resources for students, educators, and entrepreneurship practitioners. Participants learn from new ideas and create, submit, and present original business and social venture concepts.

Diamond Challenge Benefits

Each year teams with the most promising ideas are awarded prize funding to develop their venture or support higher education aspirations. Every participant has the opportunity to grow their network, gain valuable feedback, and discover potential future collaborations.

Grand Prizes:

Awards are given to the top three teams in both business innovation, presented by CSC, and social innovation tracks to advance their entrepreneurial journeys.

1st Place: $12,000
2nd Place: $8,000
3rd Place: $4,500

Topical Prizes:

Our topical prizes celebrate teams that exhibit expertise in specific areas. From sustainability to technological innovation, they recognize the unique and the specialized.

The Delaware Solid Waste Authority Waste & Recycling Innovation Prize: Awarded to the teams that develop an advancement in the waste or recycling industry that fosters sustainability within both the community and the environment.
The Gore Innovation Excellence Prize:

Awarded to the teams who best represent the application of technology to improving lives.

The Horn Equity Thru Entrepreneurship Prize:

Awarded to the team with the greatest potential to advance social justice and equality of opportunity.

The Horn Entrepreneurship Global Prize:

Awarded to the top global teams that demonstrate extraordinary entrepreneurship excellence and embody the true spirit of the Diamond Challenge.

Application Requirements for Diamond Challenge

Teams must consist of 2-4 high school students aged 14-18 at the submission deadline. Each team is required to have one adult advisor aged 21 or older. While multiple advisors are allowed, only one can be included in the official team submission. Contact information, including email addresses, must be provided for all team members, including the adult advisor. Each student may participate on only one team and submit one concept per competition year.
Upon initial submission, each team is required to choose a competition track (business innovation or social innovation) as well as a pitch round format (live pitch event or virtual/pre-recorded). Selections are considered final upon submission.
Competition Track
- Business Innovation: a concept’s primary purpose is to solve a customer problem, that by doing so will generate revenue and profit.
- Social Innovation: a concept’s primary purpose is to solve a social problem and make a positive impact on people or the environment.
Pitch Round Format
- Live Pitch Event: Participants can choose to pitch their project at a live event. These events are hosted at various locations around the world in collaboration with Pitch Event Partner organizations. Typically, events are held in-person though the determination of the event format is at the discretion of the Pitch Event Partner. A participant from a team must be present at the event to compete.
- Virtual/Pre-Recorded: Alternatively, participants have the option to compete virtually by uploading a pitch deck and a recorded video pitch for judging. This option allows participants to pitch remotely without attending an event.
Throughout the competition, participants must avoid listing or disclosing the names of their schools unless the school constitutes a critical element of their concept.
Only concepts created by members of the team may be submitted. If a submission has also been conceived by members not participating in the Diamond Challenge, their full legal names must be disclosed during submission to avoid potential conflicts of interest and/or potential legal challenges at later stages of the competition.
Concepts must not have generated more than $100,000 in total revenue prior to the submission deadline.
Concepts that have advanced to the final round (Summit) in prior years cannot be resubmitted.