Submit Your Team for Pitch at Nationals
National Pitch is a highlight of the year as we bring together the top INCubatoredu teams nationwide to compete for real funding on July 8, 2026 in Chicago. Here are the details about submissions and the timeline.
Please note that nominations open Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and are due by Friday, May 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM CST.
Don't miss out on this experience of a lifetime! Here's a glimpse of the energy!
About the Event
Q1: What is National Pitch?
The INCubatoredu National Pitch brings together five student businesses from across the United States and Canada to pitch live before a panel of investors and compete for national-level funding.
Q2: Where and when is the National Pitch?
National Pitch will take place on Wednesday afternoon, July 8, 2026, at Convene Willis Tower at 233 South Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL. The Pitch takes place during the 2026 Uncharted Learning National Summit. Participants should arrive midday to prepare for the pitch event.
Q3: Why Submit to National Pitch?
Being selected as the school’s nominee for National Pitch is an accomplishment in itself. Chosen students are encouraged to include “INCubatoredu National Pitch Nominee” on their resumes as a formal recognition of this distinction. Additionally, an official certificate is available in the Resource Library to help you honor and celebrate your school’s nominee.
Q4: What needs to be submitted?
Teams will submit basic business information and supporting documents. A document to help prepare your submission can be found here. The form that you will use for your submission will be live on March 31, 2026 on this page.
Q5: How will judges evaluate submissions?
Judges use a consistent rubric that emphasizes business thinking, customer understanding, and evidence of learning.
[New this year] In the Quarter-Finalist Round (round one), evaluations are based on written responses only; judges will not watch submitted videos for this round.
Submissions are evaluated across six areas:
• Problem & Customer Clarity – How specific and meaningful the problem is
• Solution & Differentiation – Strength and uniqueness of the solution
• Evidence of Learning & Validation – What was tested, learned, and refined
• Business Model & Feasibility – How the business works and makes money
• Momentum & Growth Potential – Signs the idea can scale
• Founder/Team Alignment & Readiness – Ownership, fit, and execution mindset
Q6: Must submissions be from a team, or can an individual student participate?
Individual students are welcome to participate. While many submissions represent groups of students, solo entrepreneurs are fully eligible to be nominated and compete in the National Pitch competition.
Q7: When and how does a team submit?
Nominations open Tuesday, March 31, 2026 and are due by Friday, May 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST. Each INCubatoredu member school may nominate one student business to represent their program. The nomination must be submitted by the teacher using a Google Form that will be available on March 31, 2026, linked to this page, and shared with all member teachers via email.
Q8: Can a teacher submit more than one business?
Each school may nominate one team for the National Pitch. If you’d like to spotlight additional teams, we’d love to share their stories.
Q9: Must students travel to Chicago to pitch?
Yes. Finalists pitch live in Chicago on July 8, 2026. We understand that not every student may be able to attend; however, if a business is represented by multiple students, we ask that the majority attend. Financial assistance is available for travel to eligible student finalists who qualify under their school’s free or reduced-price lunch program. Questions about logistics? Reach out to Ashley at ashleyh@unchartedlearning.org.
Q10: Is the National Pitch event open to the public?
Finalists may invite mentors and family members to attend. The event will also be live-streamed.
Q11: When will we know the results?
A committee will review all submissions (due May 22 at 5:00 PM CST) to identify:
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25 quarter-finalists by May 29, 2026
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10 semi-finalists by June 1, 2026
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5 finalists and 2 alternates by June 8, 2026
Q12: What if I have questions?
Reach out to Ashley! ashleyh@unchartedlearning.org
GOOD LUCK!
