Fall 2026 Competition: Thursday, December 3, 1 - 4 p.m.
What is the Business Pitch Competition?
Do you have a business idea or an early-stage small business that needs funding? Apply for the opportunity to pitch for funding to start or support your small business! The Entrepreneurship Center at West Valley College will be holding our Fall 2026 Business Pitch Competition on December 3, 2026 where you can present a pitch for up to a $5,000 grant for your small business.
In addition to the competition, the Entrepreneurship Center will host a series of workshops open to all students interested in learning small business skills on Mondays, 3–4 p.m. in CHE 126, starting September 14th, 2026.
Business Pitch Competition Important Dates
Applications to pitch are due November 13, 2026. APPLY HEREBusiness Pitch Competition: Thursday, December 3, 2026 at 1-4 p.m. in-person at CHE 122/124
What Help or Resources Are There to Help Prepare My Pitch?
Mentorship is available if you would like to meet with an experience entrpreneur 1:1 to get feedback on your business idea. You can meet with a mentor in person at the E-Center OR request a virtual mentor.
Please fill out this form if you would like to attend one of the in person mentorship sessions we have scheduled throughout November.
For virtual mentorship, please utilize www.SCORE.org/siliconvalley to request a virtual mentor (please indicate in the notes upon sign-up that you are a West Valley College student.)
The E-Center is partnering with the E-club to host events every Monday from 3 - 4 pm, so make sure to attend to catch all of the action. The following workshops will be particularly helpful for the pitch competition preparation:
| Date | Time | Location | E-Center Monday Workshop/Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 5th, 2026 | 3-4:30 p.m. | CHE 122/124 | Business Idea Workshop / Business Model Canvas / Competition Overview |
| October 19th, 2026 | 3-4 p.m. | CHE 122/124 | Social Media Personal Branding & Content Creation |
| October 26th, 2026 | 3-4 p.m. | CHE 122/124 | Small Business Budgeting & Finance Workshop |
| November 2nd, 2026 | 3-4:30 p.m. | CHE 122/124 | Business Value Proposition Workshop |
| November 23rd, 2026 | 3-4 p.m. | CHE 122/124 | Coaching and Feedback Session |
| November 30th, 2026 | 3-5 p.m. | CHE 122/124 | Practice Your Pitch Session |
| December 3rd, 2026 | 2-5 p.m. | CHE 122/124 | Business Pitch Competition |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Thursday, December 3rd, 2026, 1-4 p.m. in-person at CHE 122/124, on the West Valley College Campus. You need to commit to being there IN PERSON.
- Open to all current West Valley College students of all majors/departments
- Individuals or teams with a business idea or an early-stage business that need funding
- Commitment to launch business within the next six months
- Application submitted by November 13th, 2026
- Availability to pitch in person in CHE 122/124 on December 3rd, 2026
You will need to complete an application by November 13th. Apply with your West Vally College email address here: Business Pitch Competition Application Link Coming Soon. You will need to fill out all of the questions in addition to submitting a Business Model Canvas and drafted budget plan for the funding requested.
There will be limited slots available, so all applicants may not be able to pitch for funding, depending on volume.
Applicants will be notified the week of November 23, 2026 if their application was accepted to pitch on December 3rd.
If you are not accepted to pitch for funding, you can still do a pitch for feedback and practice with coaches and mentors.
Each business will have six minutes to pitch their business idea and three minutes for questions from the judges. It will be a timed presentation. Feel free to bring in prototypes, demos, slides—be creative!
In the pitch, you should aim to cover:
- Problem and Need - Define the need your business is fulfilling
- Audience and Customer - Describe who your target customers are and how you will reach them
- Solution and Value Proposition - Clearly describe your products/services and how they address customer needs (unique value proposition)
- Feasibility and Implementation - Lay out a clear plan for execution for starting your business - goals, timeline, key activities, resources, risks, etc.
- Financial Sustainability and Use of Funds - Clearly describe how you will utilize the funding, plans for generating revenue, and understanding of expenses
Each business can request up to $5,000 in funding, clearly laid out in a budget plan submitted in the application and during the pitch for the judges. Multiple businesses may be awarded a grant during the competition depending on performance.
Businesses that receive funding will be required to make status updates 6 and 12 months after receiving funding to show progress towards their business goals.
Questions?
Contact us at wv.ecenterFREEWEST_VALLEY or [email protected].
Congratulations to our Spring 2026 Pitch Competition Winners!
On May 4, 2026 the Entrepreneurship Center (E-Center) at West Valley College held the Spring 2026 Business Pitch Competition where students presented to receive grants for up to $5,000 to start their small business. Huge thanks to our philanthropic donors, Kimberly and Howard Gore, for making this competition possible.
The students did a fantastic job pitching their business plans, ideas, and showing their passion. In the end, the judges awarded $20,000 across five businesses. Congratulations to the winners!
Fully Funded Businesses:
- Sahr Said – Talk My Way
- Prisha Bhanushali – TapSmart
Partially Funded Businesses:
- Bryce Barajas Colomb – B.Built
- Yuval Fisman – Spec AI
- Rory West – Rory's Bronze Factory
Big thanks to our competition judges:
Kimberly Gore, Howard Gore, President Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza, Rick Huebsch, and Derek Cheng.