The short answer: to enter the Diamond Challenge 2027, form a team of two to four high school students aged 14 to 18, find one adult advisor aged 21 or over, choose a track (Business or Social Innovation) and a pitch format (live or pre-recorded), then submit a three-to-five-page written concept and a 60-second introductory video through the official online platform before 5 PM US Eastern Time on 14 January 2027. That leaves about nine weeks from today. This guide walks through each step, the decisions you cannot change later, and a realistic week-by-week plan to the deadline.
If you want the overview of the competition itself, including prizes and the later rounds, start with our Diamond Challenge guide. This article is the practical "how do we actually enter?" companion.
What is the Diamond Challenge, in one paragraph?
The Diamond Challenge is an international entrepreneurship competition for high school students, run by Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware. Teams develop either a business idea or a social venture, submit it in writing and on video, and the strongest teams go on to pitch to judges. Finalists compete in person at the Limitless World Summit on 29 and 30 April 2027. The official site describes more than US$100,000 in awards, including grand prizes in each track of US$12,000 for first place, US$8,000 for second and US$4,500 for third.
Who can enter?
According to the official competition page, teams must have between two and four high school students, all aged 14 to 18 at the submission deadline. Each student can be on only one team and submit only one concept per competition year.
Every team also needs one adult advisor aged 21 or older. Only one advisor can appear on the official submission. The advisor is there to guide, not to do the work: a teacher, a parent, a family friend with business experience or a mentor all work well, as long as the students own the idea and the writing.
There are two rules about the idea itself. A concept must not have generated more than US$100,000 in revenue before the deadline, and a concept that reached the Summit in a previous year cannot be submitted again.
Does it cost anything to enter?
The official competition page does not list an entry fee. The main costs for most families are time and, if a team reaches the final, travel to the in-person Summit. If cost is a deciding factor for your family, it is worth confirming directly with the organisers at the email address on the official site before you commit, and reading our guide to the hidden costs of teen business competitions.
What are the key dates for 2027?
16 September 2026: the submission window opened.
14 January 2027, 5 PM US Eastern Time: submission deadline for the written concept and introductory video.
10 February 2027: teams advancing to the Pitching Round are notified.
9 March 2027: finalists are announced.
29 and 30 April 2027: the Limitless World Summit, where finalists compete in person.
For families in India, Singapore, Malaysia or the Gulf, 5 PM US Eastern Time on 14 January is the early hours of 15 January locally. In India, for example, that is 3:30 AM. Treat the evening of 13 January as your real deadline, and aim to submit days earlier than that.
How do you enter, step by step?
Step 1: Form the team
Two to four students is the rule. In practice, three is often the sweet spot: enough people to split research, writing and video work, few enough that decisions do not stall. Look for a mix of strengths. One person who enjoys numbers, one who writes clearly and one who is comfortable on camera covers most of what the submission needs.
Agree early on how much time everyone can give each week until mid-January. Most problems in student teams are not about ideas; they are about one person doing all the work in the final week.
Step 2: Find an adult advisor
Ask early. Teachers are busy in December, and an advisor who is asked in the first week of January is unlikely to give the concept a careful read. A good advisor asks hard questions ("who exactly would pay for this?") and checks that deadlines are met, but leaves the answers to the students.
Step 3: Choose your track
The Business Innovation track is for ventures designed mainly to make a profit by solving a customer's problem. The Social Innovation track is for ventures designed mainly to tackle a social or environmental problem, while still being sustainable. Both tracks have the same grand prizes.
Choose based on what the venture is really for, not which track looks easier. If you are unsure, ask: "If this made no profit but solved the problem, would we count it a success?" If the answer is yes, Social Innovation is probably the better fit.
Step 4: Choose your pitch format
At the same time, teams choose how they would pitch if they advance. A live pitch happens at a Pitch Event Partner location, with a five-minute pitch and up to three minutes of questions, and a team member must attend in person. A virtual pitch means submitting a pre-recorded video of under five minutes, plus a PDF slide deck, with a recommended maximum of 15 slides.
The official page lists Pitch Event Partner locations in countries including India, Japan, Thailand, Canada, Sweden and the United States. If there is no partner event near you, the virtual format is the practical choice. Our article on choosing between a video competition and an in-person one covers the trade-offs in more detail.
Step 5: Register on the official platform
Entries are made through the Diamond Challenge's online competition platform, linked from the official website as the Competitors' Login. Use an email address that the team checks regularly, because notifications about advancing are sent by email. Write down the login details somewhere the whole team, and the advisor, can find them.
Step 6: Write the concept narrative
The written narrative is the heart of the first round. The official rules limit it to three to five pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font with one-inch (2.54 cm) margins, submitted as a PDF in English. It should explain the problem, who the customers are, the solution, what makes it different, how the economics work, why your team can deliver it, and any evidence of traction.
That is a lot to fit into five double-spaced pages, which is why clear, plain writing beats clever writing here. We have a full guide on how to write a Diamond Challenge written concept, with a section-by-section structure.
Step 7: Make the 60-second introductory video
The introductory video is strictly limited to 60 seconds. It should show the team members' names, the concept name, the problem, who it is for and the solution. It must be submitted as a publicly accessible link, so check that it plays when you are signed out of your account.
Sixty seconds is very short. Write a script first, time it out loud, and cut anything that does not help a judge understand the problem and your answer to it. Simple, well-lit, clearly spoken videos filmed on a phone are perfectly acceptable; production polish is not the point.
Step 8: Check, then submit early
Before you submit, check the narrative against every formatting rule, make sure the video link works for someone outside the team, and ask your advisor to read the final version. Then submit with several days to spare. Websites slow down on deadline day, and time zones catch international teams out every year.
Which decisions cannot be changed later?
The official page is clear that the track and the pitch format are chosen at the initial submission and are final. That makes them the two decisions most worth discussing properly as a team, and with your advisor, before you submit. A team that picks the live format and then discovers there is no partner event they can travel to has a real problem in February.
What does a realistic nine-week plan look like?
If your team is starting now, in mid-November, here is a plan that works backwards from 14 January, with a buffer for the holidays.
Week 1 (from 16 November): confirm the team, ask an advisor, and list three to five problems the team genuinely cares about.
Week 2: choose one problem. Talk to at least five people who have it. Write down what they actually say.
Week 3: shape the solution and decide on the track. Sketch how the venture would make or raise money.
Week 4: build simple numbers: what it costs to start, what a customer would pay or what funding it would need, and how many customers you would need.
Week 5 (mid-December): write a first full draft of the narrative, even if it is rough. Agree the pitch format.
Weeks 6 and 7 (holidays): lighter weeks. Gather any evidence of traction, such as survey responses, a simple prototype, sign-ups or letters of interest.
Week 8 (early January): second draft of the narrative with your advisor's comments. Script and film the 60-second video.
Week 9: final edits, formatting checks, register on the platform if you have not already, and submit by 11 January at the latest.
If your team is starting later than this, compress weeks 1 to 4 into two, but do not skip talking to real people about the problem. It is the single biggest difference between concepts that read as homework and concepts that read as real ventures.
What mistakes stop teams at the first round?
A solution looking for a problem. Teams fall in love with an app idea and then search for someone to need it. Start with the problem and the people who have it.
No numbers. Judges do not expect a perfect forecast, but they do expect a sensible explanation of costs, pricing and who pays.
Breaking the format rules. Five pages means five pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font. A 61-second video is over the limit.
A private video link. If the judges cannot open it, it cannot be scored.
Leaving it to the last weekend. The deadline falls in early January, straight after the holidays. Teams who plan to "do it over the break" often find the break disappears.
How can parents help without taking over?
The most useful thing a parent can do is ask good questions and protect time. "Who is your customer?", "How do you know they want this?" and "What happens if a competitor copies you?" are questions that sharpen a concept without writing it for the team. Agreeing a regular weekly session, and an internal deadline a week before the real one, does more than any amount of last-minute editing.
It also helps to be honest about what the competition is for. Very few teams win a grand prize. The real value is in the process: researching a real problem, writing clearly, working to a deadline and pitching an idea to strangers. Those are the skills that carry into university applications and beyond, whatever the result. We have written more about what a strong Diamond Challenge pitch sounds like if your team is thinking ahead to February.
Is the Diamond Challenge right for your teenager?
The Diamond Challenge suits students aged 14 to 18 who have, or want to develop, a single idea over several months, and who are willing to put it in writing and on camera. Students who prefer a short, intense format may find a one-day competition such as GYEC a better first step; our GYEC preparation guide explains how that works. If you are weighing the Diamond Challenge against the Blue Ocean Competition, read Diamond Challenge or Blue Ocean?
If you would like an honest view of whether your child is ready for the Diamond Challenge this year, and what preparation would help most, you can book a free 30-minute Readiness Assessment. You will receive a short written plan within 24 hours, whether or not you choose to work with us.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Diamond Challenge 2027 deadline?
Submissions close at 5 PM US Eastern Time on 14 January 2027, according to the official competition timeline.
How many students can be on a Diamond Challenge team?
Between two and four high school students, all aged 14 to 18 at the submission deadline, plus one adult advisor aged 21 or over.
Can a student be on two teams?
No. Each student may take part in only one team and submit one concept per competition year.
Can we change track after submitting?
No. The track and the pitch format are chosen at the initial submission and are final.
Does the Diamond Challenge accept international teams?
Yes. The competition is open to high school students worldwide, and the official site lists Pitch Event Partners in many countries. Teams without a nearby partner event can choose the virtual pitch format.
Where are the official rules?
The timeline, eligibility rules and submission requirements are on the official Diamond Challenge competition page. Always check there for the latest information before you submit.
Sources
Facts checked on the official Diamond Challenge website on 13 November 2026. Rules and dates can change, so please confirm with the organisers before submitting. International Finance Academy is independent and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Diamond Challenge, Horn Entrepreneurship, the University of Delaware or any competition organiser.
