Opportunities

SBA is hosting a nationwide pitch competition that will bring together entrepreneurs from across the country who are building and scaling businesses within their communities.

Selected businesses will be invited to participate in a live pitch competition in Washington, DC, which will culminate in a $1 million prize pool to celebrate the innovation and ambition that has driven American ingenuity for the past 250 years.

Submission Guidelines

While not required to do so, you may use the suggested topics and example pitch to tell us all about your business and what you’re doing to drive innovation.

Upload your pitch using the submission link for your local District Office, below, by June 10 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Submissions must be in PDF format and are limited to 1 file upload.

By submitting a pitch you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of the competition.

• Your business name, mailing and physical address, and a link to your business website or social media page (if available)
• The business owner’s name and contact information (such as email and phone number)
• Documentation confirming the year your business was established and its current standing in its state of incorporation
• A description of your product or services and your current mission statement
• A mini pitch video, lasting approximately 60 seconds, included via YouTube link
• A brief history of your business’s founding and development
• A description of how your business drives innovation in its sector (for example, by leveraging new technologies or new strategies to modernize its operations, and strengthening its competitive edge)
• A business plan with 3-year revenue forecast supporting the competition’s revenue eligibility requirement
• A list of the SBA capital products your business has utilized
• A description of the impact SBA capital products have had on your business
• A description of how you would use the prize money if you win the competition

Judging

Submissions will be evaluated by four stages of judging panels looking at how each business performs in the following categories:

• Strengthening American competitiveness
• Small business “punching above its weight”
• Economic impact and quality jobs
• Business fundamentals and execution readiness

The top 10 semifinalists will be announced the week of July 4, 2026, during the Great American State Fair. The five finalists will be invited to participate in a live pitch competition in Washington, DC.

The competition is open to:

• U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years of age at the time of submission (or teams of such individuals)
• Private entities or teams that meet SBA’s definition of a small business
  • Individuals submitting on behalf of corporations, nonprofits, or other organizations or groups of individuals (such as an academic class or other team) must meet the eligibility requirements for individual contestants.
  • An individual cannot belong to more than one team submitting an entry in this competition.

Your business must:

• Have a minimum of 3 years in business operation
• Have a gross revenue production of at least $100,000 annually
• Have benefited from one or more of the following SBA capital products:
  • 7(a) loans (including Paycheck Protection Program loans)
  • 504 loans
  • Microloan Intermediary loans
  • SBIR / STTR funded entities
  • SBIC financed small business concerns
  • Note: participants who received COVID-19 EIDL loans or SBA Disaster loans are not eligible based on those loans but may be eligible if they received the capital products listed above.
• Be current and in good standing on any federal obligations. Businesses that have, at any time, defaulted on a federal loan or federally-guaranteed financing that has resulted in the federal government or any of its agencies or departments sustaining a loss in any of its programs and businesses owned or controlled a person who previously owned, operated, or controlled a business which defaulted on a federal loan or guaranteed financing and caused the federal government or any of its agencies or departments to sustain a loss in any of its programs are ineligible to apply for the competition.  For purposes of the competition, a compromise agreement as described at 31 C.F.R. 3711 shall also be considered a loss.
• Be headquartered and operated in the United States and/or its territories
• Be 100% owned by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents
• Actively drive innovation in your sector, leveraging new technologies or strategies to modernize operations or strengthen your competitive edge

Finalists must be available to travel for the national pitch competition, which will occur on one day between September 8th – 18th (to be finalized at a later time), at their own expense.

Eligible participants must agree to assume risks of personal injury/property damage arising from their participation in the competition and waive such claims against the government or competition judges to enter the competition.

Additional eligibility requirements

The competition is not open to:

• SBA employees and contractors
• Federal entities
• Non-SBA federal employees acting within the scope of their employment
• Individuals or organizations that are currently suspended or debarred by the federal government

See full Terms and Conditions for additional detail.

Disclosure of information

Requests for information about another party may be denied unless SBA has the written permission of the individual to release the information to the requestor or unless the information is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The Privacy Act authorizes SBA to make certain “routine uses” of information protected by that Act. One such routine use is the disclosure of information maintained in SBA’s system of records when this information indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal, or administrative in nature. Specifically, SBA may refer the information to the appropriate agency, whether Federal, State, local or foreign, charged with responsibility for, or otherwise involved in investigation, prosecution, enforcement or prevention of such violations. Another routine use is disclosure to other Federal agencies conducting background checks but only to the extent the information is relevant to the requesting agencies’ function. See, 74 F.R. 14890 (2009), and as amended from time to time for additional background and other routine uses.

Response Deadline: 06.10.2026

• Link:

the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that small manufacturers across the country will soon be eligible for enhanced support through the SBA’s International Trade Loan (ITL) Program. The loans, which come with a 90% federal guarantee, will help manufacturers expand facilities, hire workers, and increase production – as part of the Trump Administration’s broader effort to rebuild America’s industrial dominance and strength. In addition, the SBA recently expanded ITL eligibility to include small businesses across the food supply chain, including those in the agriculture, production, and logistics industries.

“Industrial dominance is essential to our national security and strength, and the Trump Administration has taken historic action to incentivize “Made in America” through tax cuts, deregulation, fair trade and energy dominance – all of which are restoring American industries and jobs,” said SBA Administrator Loeffler. “Today, the SBA is taking another step to support reindustrialization with our new Made in America loan guarantee, which will give U.S. manufacturers additional financing to expand operations, modernize equipment, and supercharge domestic production. Small businesses make up 98% of all manufacturers in America, and as I’ve traveled across the country meeting with industry leaders, the demand for additional capital to expand and hire is evident. This Administration is transforming America into a nation of builders once again, as part of an industrial comeback that is being led by small businesses.”

The ITL program unlocks long-term, affordable financing to support American producers – offering borrowers additional flexibility through an increased SBA guarantee of 90% compared to the standard 75% guarantee for the agency’s flagship 7(a) Loan Program. This expanded support will give lenders greater confidence to deploy capital into domestic manufacturing, driving investments in machinery, facilities, and production capacity.

Starting May 1st, manufacturers across NAICS Sectors 31–33 will become eligible for the expanded ITL Program. Eligible businesses may use the funds to:

• Upgrade or replace equipment to improve productivity and reduce unit costs.
• Modernize facilities and production lines to meet customer and national security requirements.
• Diversify supply chains away from foreign adversaries and bring critical production back to the United States.
• Build more resilient inventory positions.
• Expand operations and capacity through strategic acquisitions.

The enhanced SBA funding builds on the Trump Administration’s broader commitment to reshoring American industry and domestic supply chains. President Trump’s Working Family Tax Cuts include major incentives for small manufacturers – including 100% expensing on factory equipment, no tax on overtime, and a permanent 20% small business deduction. The tax cut and fair trade agenda is already driving new demand and growth for small businesses, as weekly wages in the manufacturing sector surged by 5.1% in February.

In support of this agenda, the SBA launched its Made in America Manufacturing Initiative last year. The agency waived loan fees for small manufacturers in Fiscal Year 2026 and established the first-ever loan program dedicated to American manufacturers. The SBA also launched its Make Onshoring Great Again Portal, a free tool designed to connect small businesses with a database of more than one million domestic suppliers and producers – and cut over $100 billion in red tape crushing small businesses, including manufacturers.

Lenders and small businesses interested in the updated International Trade Loan program can contact SBA’s national team of Finance Managers for more information. SBA’s Finance Manager team not only supports the ITL program but also serves as the agency’s working capital specialists and can help lenders and borrowers understand how ITL can be paired with SBA’s expanding suite of working capital solutions – including the MARC and Working Capital Pilot.

Response Deadline: 05.05.2026

• Link: