2025 Eligibility Requirements

Note: This page features highlights and information from the 2025 Patriot Pitch Competition. Content is provided for informational, planning, and inspiration purposes only. For the most up-to-date details and to register for the 2026 competition, please refer to the official registration page.

2025 Patriot Pitch Competition Eligibility Requirements

The 2025 Patriot Pitch Competition invites innovative thinkers from George Mason University to compete for funding, mentorship, and recognition. Whether you're a student or recent alum, this is your opportunity to showcase your entrepreneurial spirit. Check below to see if you meet the eligibility criteria and take the first step toward launching your venture.

2025 Patriot Pitch Competition Final Pitch Event: Thursday, April 10, 2025

A. GMU Affiliation Requirements

  1. The application must be a “Venture” that is 50% or more controlled by a “College Participant.” “Non-College Participants” can be included in a Venture’s team but cannot control more than 50% of the Venture. 
  2. A Venture that is comprised of both College Participants and Non-College Participants not yet legally organized will be required to provide a binding agreement between the team members showing 50% or more control by the College Participant.

B. Eligibility Requirements for Participants 

“College Participant” is: 

A currently enrolled (full or part-time) student in any George Mason University degree program or an alumnus of any George Mason University degree program who graduated after December 1, 2020 (within the past 5 years). Currently enrolled degree-seeking students include students enrolled in the George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College’s ADVANCE program, Mason Korea students and students in degree seeking programs on all George Mason University campuses. 

“Non-College Participant” is: 

Any individual that does not meet the requirements of a “College Participant” (as defined above).

C. Intended for Early-Stage Ventures 

Open to Ventures that: 

  1. Have raised funding (equity or debt or both) or received grants of less than $50,000 and; 
  2. Have less than $100,000 in annual revenue

D. Eligibility Requirements for Participating Ventures 

  1. A Venture may be organized as a sole proprietorship, a team of individuals with an idea, an organized project, or an organized legal entity such as a partnership, corporation, etc. 
  2. A Venture cannot be destructive in nature (cannot have malicious intent).
  3. A Venture cannot have been in business for more than 3 years (as of Pitch Competition Date, must have been legally organized after April 1, 2022, if this milestone has already been achieved).
  4. A Venture cannot have won prize money or have been selected for the semi-final round in a previous Patriot Pitch Competition (name of competition has varied).

E. Eligible Tracks 

The organizers have outlined four tracks for participation:

  1. STEM (Current Undergraduate Students only): Ventures submitted by undergraduate teams within the industries of: Engineering, technology, science, statistics, etc.
  2. Social Impact (Current Undergraduate Students only): Ventures submitted by undergraduate teams within the industries of: Social entrepreneurship, sustainability, net zero, etc. 
  3. General Entrepreneurship (Current Undergraduate Students only): Ventures submitted by undergraduate teams within all other industries that are "outside the box" and don’t necessarily fit neatly into the STEM or Social Impact categories. This includes ventures that are more traditional/small business: food and beverage, real estate, retail, game design, art, etc. 
  4. General Entrepreneurship (Current Graduate Students and All Recent Alumni only): All business ideas or early-stage ventures submitted by graduate level students or recent alumni teams. Graduate students and recent alumni teams that have STEM or Social Impact ventures should apply to this track as well

F. Cash Prize Award Distribution Rules

  1. Current undergraduate students can opt to receive Cash Prize Awards as checks as an individual(s) or as a legal entity (tax and Financial Aid implications may apply).
  2. Prize amounts for any undergraduate student teams that have more than one person are required to either: i. become legally organized and establish a business bank account or ii. the total Cash Prize Award will be evenly split and distributed amongst student team members 
  3. Participants in the General Entrepreneurship (Current Graduate Students and All Alumni only) track must become legally organized prior to Cash Prize Amount distribution. 
  4. Any Ventures with a team comprised of greater than 49% Graduate students and/or Alumni participants will be eligible to participate in the (Current Graduate Students and All Alumni only) 
  5. Any Ventures with various “College Participants” and “Non-College Participants” (any combination of eligible student/ eligible alumni/Non-College participants) would need to become legally organized prior to Cash Prize Amount distribution with binding agreement reflecting “College Participant” has 50% or more control of legal entity 
  6. Any “College Participant” not eligible to become legally organized due to visa status will be eligible to receive Cash Prize Amount as an individual (additional approvals required from OIPS, International Tax Office and Financial Aid Office may apply).

*Applicants should be prepared to show proof of control by a “College Participant(s)” and proof of enrollment or graduation. 

**These eligibility requirements are subject to change at competition organizers discretion. 

***Please see Cash Prize Award amounts as listed on the 2025 Patriot Pitch Competition web page.