Championship guide · Entrepreneurship · Ages 14–18
Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC)
A one-day online business idea competition. Teams receive a challenge at 8:00 AM on competition day and have 12 hours to submit a two-page business summary and a three-minute video.
- Teams of 3–8
- 12 hours, fully online
- No fee listed
At a glance
- A surprise challenge at 8:00 AM
- 12 hours to build a solution
- Two-page summary and three-minute video
- Feedback sheet for every team
About the championship
What students actually do
GYEC tests how well a team can think and work under time pressure. The challenge is only revealed on the day, so teams practise process, roles and speed rather than preparing one idea in advance.
Judges assess creativity and innovation, finance and production, marketing and communication. Winners receive a trophy and a certificate, and every team receives a certificate of participation and a feedback sheet.
Key facts
The competition at a glance
Dates below are from 2026. The 2027 dates are not yet published.
Sources: GYEC. Checked 30 October 2026. Always confirm dates and rules on the official site.
Preparation with IFA
How we help students get ready
Live coaching from finance professionals who have been there and done it, built around what this competition rewards.
A real problem
Finding a problem worth solving and the people who have it, with evidence rather than guesses.
The business model
Customers, pricing, costs and simple projections that hold up to a judge’s questions.
The deck and the story
A clear structure, clean slides and a story judges remember.
Pitching and Q&A
Timed practice pitches and mock judging, with honest feedback after each run.
Not sure this is the right competition?
In a free 30-minute Readiness Assessment, a founder meets your child and you, and sends a written plan within 24 hours. If another competition, or none yet, is a better fit, we will say so.
Questions
What parents ask
Can my child prepare if the challenge is a surprise?
How big should a team be?
When is the 2027 competition?
Is IFA connected to the organisers?
International Finance Academy is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, its steering committee or the Center of Entrepreneurship Development. Competition names are used only to describe the events we help students prepare for.