Nicolet College will again be hosting our NEW Ideas Pitch Contest on April 16th, 2025. 

Do you have an idea for a new business or product? We want to hear it! The contest is open to any student at Nicolet College taking at least one credit, in a for-credit course in any area of study, during the current Academic Year. There are cash prizes for the top finishers, and the top two will qualify to advance to the Regional NEW Ideas Pitch Contest.

Nicolet College will also host the Regional NEW Ideas Pitch Contest this year, with all the other participating schools visiting our campus. The top two finishers from each of the six participating Wisconsin Technical Colleges will pitch their business ideas. This event, being held on May 1, 2025, is open to the media and a public audience. Details will be announced at a later date.

These events are being hosted by Nicolet College and are sponsored by the Nicolet College Foundation, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), Kwik Trip, and other community and business sponsors. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, a limited number of opportunities exist. See below for more information about our supporting sponsors.

If you have questions or are interested in becoming a sponsor, just send an email to the Nicolet College Pitch Coordinator & Event Chair, Curt Drumm, at cdrumm@nicoletcollege.edu.

NEW Ideas Pitch Contest 2025 Event Details

Compete in the NEW Ideas Pitch Contest, by applying now, for the opportunity to win cash prizes! Presenters will have four minutes to pitch their idea, plus a couple more minutes to answer any questions from our judges. The top-prize winner will receive $500! Second place wins $300 and third place $200.

Our top two prize winners will advance to compete at the regional level against contestants from six other Wisconsin Technical College at the Regional NEW Ideas Pitch Contest on May 1, 2025. The prize money for first place at this regional event is $1,000!

Event Parameters & Specifications

• This is a 2-part pitch competition. The first round will be held locally at the Nicolet College campus in Rhinelander, WI.
• The top two finishers will advance to compete at the Regional NEW Ideas Pitch Contest, also being held at Nicolet College this year.
• Individual or Team presentations are permitted.
• This is a “Business Idea” style pitch event, encouraging students from all areas of Nicolet College with a business idea to compete.
• There is no requirement for the potential scalability of business ideas.
• Lifestyle, products (manufactured or sold), service, or technology business ideas are acceptable.
• Nicolet College will provide instructors, mentors and advisors to help contestants with their presentations.
• If you have an idea for a new product or service, please review the information below and let us know.

Eligibility 

• Contestants must be enrolled as a student at Nicolet College in any area of study in the current academic year (degree, technical diploma or certificate program, individual coursework, or other for-credit education) and have a valid student ID number. High School Transcripted Credit students are also invited to compete. Students enrolled in at least one (1) credit in any for-credit course are allowed to compete.
• Students may only compete once during their enrollment at Nicolet College.
• The business idea being pitched cannot have raised more than $20,000 in funding or have earned more than $20,000 in revenue.
• You must be available to PITCH the idea to judges in-person at Nicolet College at 4pm April 16, 2025. and if you’re one of the top two (2) local Nicolet prize winners, you will advance to the Regional NEW Ideas Pitch Contest being held on May 1.
• Complete the NEW IDEAS PITCH CONTEST Registration Form by 5pm Friday, April 4nd and submit via e-mail to cdrumm@nicoletcollege.edu.  Nicolet participants will be notified with details.

Pitch Structure

• Individuals/teams will prepare a four (4) minute action-oriented pitch about a business idea.
• The Pitch should be designed to sell the idea to an investor and/or lender.
• A maximum of five (5) PowerPoint slides, or other visual aids, are encouraged.
• Formal presentation materials or a complete business plan are not required.
• A panel of three (3) judges may ask up to three (3) questions each; this Q&A session will be limited to two (2) minutes.
• The order of the pitch presentations will be randomly selected prior to the contest.
• Personalized coaching from Nicolet staff and faculty, and other advisors, will be available.
• The focus of the event is education, not publicity, but press releases, names and photographs may be used to cover this event, at both the local and regional level.

Local NEW Ideas Pitch Contest at Nicolet College on April 16th, 2025

• Nicolet College will host our local competition on Wednesday, April 16th at 4:00pm (on campus.)
• A panel consisting of three (3) judges shall select the top three (3) overall best pitches.
• The decision of the judges is final.
• Cash prizes are awarded to first place ($500), second place ($300), and third place ($200).
• The top two Nicolet winners will advance to compete at the Regional NEW Ideas Pitch Contest.
• The Local NEW Ideas Pitch Contest is not open to the public, but press releases, names and photographs may be used to cover this event.

Regional NEW Ideas Pitch Contest with the six participating 2-year Wisconsin Technical Colleges on May 1st, 2025 

• The Regional NEW Ideas Pitch Contest will be hosted this year by Nicolet College in Rhinelander, WI on May 1stfrom 2-5pm. All the other competing colleges will be joining us here.
• There will be two (2) contestants participating from each of the six Wisconsin Technical Colleges, for a total of 12 contestants.
• A panel of three (3) judges shall select the four (4) overall best pitches.
• The decision of the judges is final.
• Cash prizes are awarded to first place ($1000), second place ($500), third place ($250), and fourth place ($100). All participating contestants will receive a $50 Kwik Trip Gift Card as a Participation Award.
• The Regional NEW Ideas Pitch Contest will be open to the media and a public audience; in addition, press releases, names and photographs may also be used to cover this event.

Additional Information

• There are no restrictions on prize money awarded to students for either event.  Students may use the money however they wish. The contest will distribute W-9 or other tax documentation as required by the IRS.
• This event is hosted by Nicolet College and sponsored by the Nicolet College Foundation and other supporting businesses.
• The Nicolet College Foundation provides students with the academic and financial resources they need to make the most of their education, producing better-prepared and motivated graduates for the local workforce, and inspiring the gift-giving tradition.
• Special thanks to NACCE, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. NACCE is the nation’s leading co-creator and distributor of resources to transform underserved communities through community college engagement. NACCE represents 370+ community and technical colleges and more than 3,000 faculty, staff, administrators and presidents who serve over four million students. NACCE works to engage members through entrepreneurial thinking and innovative action, and is one of the lead sponsors of this event.
• We would also like to thank Kwik Trip and their over 800 stores in the Midwest for supporting this event.
• Regional contest prize money is provided by participating colleges.
• For further information, contact the Nicolet College Pitch Coordinator & Event Chair, Curt Drumm, at cdrumm@nicoletcollege.edu.

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