Mott Million Dollar Challenge: A Pitch Competition for Kids and Teens
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The Mott Million Dollar Challenge is a national innovation competition for kids and teens in grades K–12 supported by funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and powered by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). Across the competition, a total of $1,000,000 (one million dollars) in prize money will be awarded to young people. Submission Deadline: February 27, 2026

You can enter if:

  • You’re in grades K–12 (or in that age range as of February 27, 2026), and
  • You live in the United States (50 States and Washington DC)
  • You can be in public school, private school, charter school, homeschool, online school, or a youth program. If you’re learning and growing here, you belong here!

How do I enter?

  • Gather a group or go solo.
  • You can enter alone or as a team of up to 3 students.
  • You’ll compete in one of three grade-level groups: K–4, 5–8, or 9–12.

Brainstorm and dream.
Unleash your inner inventor!
What new idea would make life better at school, at home, or in your community?

Pick one of our challenge categories:

1. Business Challenge - Create an idea for a new business. This could be a brand-new product, a better way to solve an everyday problem, or a creative twist on something that already exists. Your pitch should explain what the product or service is, why people need it, and how the business will meet that need.

2. Social Challenge - Propose a business idea that helps solve a social or community issue. Your pitch should clearly explain the problem in the community, why it matters, and how their business idea would help fix or improve it. 

Pitch your idea.

  • Record a 30–90 second video.
  • Keep it clear, creative, and straight from you.
  • Nothing fancy needed—your words matter most.

Submit your entry.
Fill out the quick form and upload your video (or a link to your public video on YouTube) before the deadline!

Go bold and win big.
Kids and teens throughout the competition will win real cash prizes.

Celebrate!
Finalists will be invited to an epic celebration in June 2026 in Flint, Michigan, packed with learning and a live pitch event.

 

ARE YOU READY TO SUBMIT?  First, read the RULES below (click the double down arrows to show text if hidden).

TO BEGIN YOUR SUBMISSION:  click the blue button ==> at right to create a Reviewr Account or Log In, and then begin your submission. You can save and log out of your account any time, but you must complete all required portions and hit the SUBMIT button before the deadline.

NOTE:  If you are part of a team of 2 or 3, you should pick one person to be the primary submitter so that there are no duplicate submissions. The submitter should have names, addresses and contact information ready for all the teammates, and all teammates must have their parents submit a release form OR, if over 18, must submit one themselves.

GOOD LUCK!

     

      IMPORTANT:  By entering the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, you confirm that:

      • You and your Parent/Guardian have read and agree to our Terms & Conditions.
      • If you are under 18, your parent or guardian must sign the Parent & Guardian Consent and Release, which governs consent, data use, and media/IP rights.  Click link to open and sign digitally, or download the form (see DOWNLOADS below), complete and save.
      • If you are 18 or over, you must sign and submit an individual Consent and Release form which governs data use and media/IP rights. Click link to open and sign digitally, or download the form (see DOWNLOADS below), complete and save.

      ELIGIBILITY: 

      • You must live in the United States (50 States and Washington D.C.).
      • You can go to public school, private school, charter school, homeschool, online school, or attend an out-of-school program.
      • The children or wards of employees of the Mott Foundation, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), and other affiliates are not eligible to win this competition. 

      SUBMISSION RULES:

      • The submission deadline is February 27, 2026.
      • You can make a team of up to three (3) students.  All team members must be in the same grade-level group (K-4, 5-8, 9-12).
      • You may appear in and submit one (1) individual submission and one (1) team submission only. 
      • A full submission includes:
      1. The completed submission form with information on all teammates,
      2. Signed consent & waiver documents for all teammates,
      3. 30-90 second video presenting the team’s idea as clearly, creatively, and persuasively as possible. You can upload your video or give us an unlisted, clickable link to it on YouTube.
      • You must submit only original work and may not use the idea, concept, business, intellectual property, etc., of another person.  
      • If you have used external sources to gather information, you must cite them in your video.
      • You must avoid offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate content. Inappropriate content includes but is not limited to actions or activities that violate local, state, or federal law.  
      • You must behavior in a manner that demonstrates respect to judges and other participants.  
      • You may only share someone else’s personal contact information publicly, if you receive consent from them.  

      Judging is based on three criteria: 

      • Clarity (Does the pitch clearly identify a business or social problem? Is there a clear solution outlined?)
      • Creativity (How creative and innovative is the solution? How creative is the name and pitch video?) 
      • Persuasiveness (How well does the presenter(s) sell you on their idea?) 

      CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION:

      • There is no entry fee to participate in the competition.
      • Winners will receive cash prizes and may be invited to advance to further stages of the competition, possibly including a live pitch event in Flint, Michigan, in June of 2026.
      • Teams of more than one (1) will be allowed to participate in the live event without all participants attending, but in that case any prizes for the advanced rounds will be issued only to the participating individuals.
      • Mott Million Dollar Challenge reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to deny entrance to any entry, participant or team. It also reserves the right to vary and/or amend any of these guidelines or to cancel or postpone the Competition, at any time without prior notice. Participants agree to accept all decisions of the Mott Million Dollar Challenge related to this competition as final and binding.