Cougar Biz Pitch Competition

The deadline for submitting your Business Pitch is April 6, 2026 at 5 pm.
Late submissions will not be considered for this year's competition.

Eligibility
All undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2025-2026 Academic Year are eligible so long as they are in good academic standing with the university and do not have any holds on their accounts. Students may submit individually or as a Team. Team members must all be students at Columbus State University. Teams are limited to four students. Students may only submit one entry for the competition individually or as part of a team.

Up to 4 Finalists may be selected to present their ideas to the judges, but it is not guaranteed four finalists will be chosen. In addition, judges may choose not to award any or all of the finalists based upon their evaluation. The ruling of the judges is final.

• Was the problem/need clearly defined? Is it compelling?
• Does the proposed product or service effectively address the problem/need?
• How innovative and/or creative is the solution?
• Is there a clear value proposition supported by a good market assessment and clear competitive differentiation?
• Are the financial assumptions reasonable? Based on what was shown and/or your professional impression, can this business be financially viable?
• On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate the overall quality of the proposal and the presentation?
• To date, how much sales revenue has the business generated?

The judges will use their discretion to decide if an entry will be eliminated from the competition for not following the rules. The judges will contact four (4) finalists to present their business pitches in the Auditorium of the Synovus Center for Commerce and Technology. The decision of the Judges is final.

To enter the competition fill out the form below. Please provide all of the following information before submitting your Business Pitch to the Judges.

2026 Cougar Biz Pitch Competition Application

1. April 6, 2026 - Students submit business pitch idea (by noon)
2. April 24, 2026 - Finalist Notified
3. May 2, 2026 - Finalists Pitch Idea to Judges