While the hallmark of New Enterprise Forum is our signature showcase presentation pitch coaching, we also know that there are many early-stage companies that are just starting off and need practice telling their story and networking within the community. So, NEF also has Pitch Pit Competitions throughout the year. 

Pitch Pit is a wonderful opportunity to vet a business idea in front of an experienced panel of judges and an encouraging audience. While you are competing against others for a cash prize, the real return-on-investment will be the constructive feedback that you will receive from the judges for moving your business idea forward and their tips on how to succeed.

NEF Pitch Pit Process:

How to Apply

• Click the NEF Pitch Pit Application and fill out the online form. It should only take a couple of minutes to complete.

Application Selection

• Applicants are selected by the NEF Pitch Pit Committee, whose decision is based upon the clarity of the business concept, uniqueness in being able to rise above industry competition and an audience engagement ‘quirky’ quality.
• Entrepreneurs can apply for more than one Pitch Pit event, but become ineligible after winning a cash prize.
• Applications are reviewed and three or four contestants are selected. The Pitch Pit Committee will notify each contestant, via email or phone, to confirm their availability for the Pitch Pit date for which they applied and share next steps.

The Four-Minute Pitch

• The Pitch should be all about your idea and why people would buy it. Describe more about the benefits of using your product versus its features.
• PowerPoint slides are not permitted. Think of it as the proverbial “elevator speech.”
• The presentations should be simple and engaging – but no more than four minutes – you will be timed!

The Judging

• Three experienced entrepreneurial judges will determine the winner and give constructive feedback to each presenter.
• Presenters are tasked with convincing the judges their product is worth buying by a large number of customers.
• The sum of the highest scores wins the cash prize, unless there is a tie where the winners split the cash

The Prize

• First Place is currently a $250 cash prize and a complimentary New Enterprise Forum Business Readiness Assessment by a team of NEF coaches.
• Pitch Pit contestants will be featured in NEF social media and  on the website

Key Dates