GRADES 7, 8 & 9 

Train locally.
Compete regionally.
Build boldly.

An entrepreneurship education competition for students in Grades 7, 8 & 9. Train at your school, pitch to your peers, and earn a place at the 56-hour championship at NEIA & learn from Babson Professors.

Grades
7–9
Schools
10
Boot camp
56 hrs
Middle school students collaborating on an entrepreneurship project
Championship prize
$15,000
1st place team · subject to final rules
The Journey

From your classroom to the regional stage

Every team starts locally. The finalists come to Marlborough for a full-immersion championship weekend.

01
School Training

NEIA educators deliver 1–2 day entrepreneurship program

02
School Pitch

Teams of up to 3 compete at your school

03
Top 3 Teams

Each school selects finalists

04
NEIA Championship

56-hour boot camp & final pitch

◆ Entrepreneurial mindset·◆ Opportunity identification·◆ Customer discovery·◆ Creative problem-solving·◆ Business-model development·◆ Prototyping·◆ MVP development·◆ Storytelling·◆ Pitching
How it works

Two Rounds. One Extraordinary Experience.

A local training round at your school and a regional championship at NEIA.

Round One

School Entrepreneurship Challenge

November 5–20, 2026 · At your school
  • One or two days of entrepreneurship training led by NEIA educators
  • Teams of up to 3 students develop ideas and prototypes
  • School-level pitch competition
  • Each school selects its top 3 teams to advance
School Challenge details
Round Two

The NEIA Championship

Mid-January 2027 (weekend TBC) · 56-hour boot camp at NEIA
  • Teams from 10 New England schools converge in Marlborough
  • Students stay on campus Friday & Saturday nights
  • A fresh innovation prompt · rapid research, prototyping, business model
  • Sunday final pitch to a panel of judges
Championship details
Student pitching on stage
The Championship

The 56-Hour Entrepreneurship Championship

Friday to Sunday at the NEIA campus. Teams receive a live innovation prompt, build a working MVP, shape a business model, and pitch to judges on Sunday.

Fri
Discover & Build
Sat
Prototype & Validate
Sun
Pitch & Celebrate
For Schools

Why Schools Should Participate

01

Bring high-quality entrepreneurship education directly to students

02

Develop creativity, confidence, teamwork, and communication

03

Introduce students to business and innovation

04

Provide professional development for teachers

05

Represent the school in a prestigious regional competition

06

Connect with educators and students from across New England

07

Give students an immersive residential learning experience

08

Build a culture of innovation within the school

09

Celebrate student ideas through meaningful awards and recognition

Why Babson?
#1

[Source: ranking organization, list name & year — pending Babson approval]

Learn entrepreneurship with the world’s #1 school for entrepreneurship.

The New England Entrepreneurship Challenge brings together NEIA’s innovation and making ecosystem with entrepreneurship education and expertise from Babson Academy.

[Babson Academy logo — official logo — Pending approval]
[Babson College logo — official logo — Pending approval]
Explore the Babson Connection
01

#1 Entrepreneurship

Learn from the institution consistently recognized as a global leader in entrepreneurship education.

02

Babson Faculty

Students will learn from Babson entrepreneurship faculty and educators involved in the experience.

03

Babson Academy

Access entrepreneurship education shaped by Babson Academy and its Youth Impact Lab.

04

Certificate

Participating students are expected to receive a Babson Academy certificate/recognition, subject to final partnership approval.

Why NEIA

Built for young creators and innovators

The New England Innovation Academy hosts the challenge on its Marlborough campus.

  • Entrepreneurship is central to the NEIA educational experience
  • Students learn through experimentation and real-world projects
  • NEIA combines innovation, design, technology, and entrepreneurship
  • Participants experience NEIA classrooms, studios, faculty, and campus life
  • The competition is designed to help young people see themselves as creators, innovators, and problem-solvers
Marlborough, MA

A campus built for hands-on innovation.

Students experience NEIA classrooms, studios, faculty, and campus life during championship weekend.

Educators · Mentors · Judges

Learn from people who build, teach, and invest.

Baldev Singh Rawat
Director of Entrepreneurship Education, NEIA
Babson MBA
Program Lead
Raymond Chang
Serial Entrepreneur, Investor & Educator
Former Adjunct Faculty, Babson College and Yale
Entrepreneurship Educator
Sunita Kanchinadam
Managing Director, Bank of New York
President, TiE Boston
Judge
Dr. Beth Goldstein
Director, Babson Youth Impact Lab
Adjunct Lecturer, Entrepreneurship, Babson College
Entrepreneurship Educator

Plus Babson faculty, entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, engineers, designers, and innovation leaders.

Bring the challenge to your students

Give your students a shot at the New England championship.

Register your school, request the program guide, or explore partnership. We'll follow up with eligibility, dates, and next steps.