International Youth Entrepreneurship Olympiad 2026 opens global stage to Northern Luzon student founders
Middle and high school students and undergraduates can pitch their startup ideas to an international jury in Seoul, with up to USD 5,000 in prizes and a hosted startup city tour for semi‑finalists.
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The International Youth Entrepreneurship Olympiad 2026 is inviting secondary and university students from around the world to pitch entrepreneurship ideas under the open theme “Dream. Dare. Deliver.” The competition will be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, with both domestic and international participants eligible to apply as individuals or teams of up to three members.
Who can join and what the timeline looks like
The Olympiad has two main divisions: a Secondary Division for middle and high school students in roughly grades 6–12, and a University Division for undergraduate students aged 34 or younger, including those on leave or about to graduate. Application materials and presentations must be in English, and each person or team can only submit one entry. The registration deadline is Monday, July 27, 2026 at 10:00 AM Korea Standard Time, followed by a preliminary round in July–August based on application review, a semi‑final on September 8, a Seoul city tour on September 9 for semi‑finalists, and an on‑site final presentation and awards on September 10.
Prizes, programs, and what is at stake
The event offers several prize tiers: a Grand Prize of USD 5,000 plus a Seoul Mayor’s Award, a Gold Award of USD 2,000 plus a Seoul Mayor’s Award, two Silver Awards of USD 1,000 each plus an SBA CEO’s Award, and three Bronze Awards that also carry SBA CEO’s Awards, with 14 finalists (seven teams per category) expected to reach the final stage. Alongside the main startup pitch contest, the Olympiad includes a startup mentorship program and a startup and Seoul city tour that give participating youth a closer look at the city’s innovation and business environment.
How to apply and where to find the links
To apply, interested students are instructed to:
Visit the “Startup Plus” project page for the Olympiad:
https://startup-plus.kr/project/PRJ006960?lang=enDownload and complete the official application form from the site.
Submit the application according to the instructions on the page: domestic applicants apply through the website, and international applicants submit via email as indicated in the guidelines.
All materials and presentations must be prepared in English, and only one entry per person or team is allowed. For inquiries, the poster lists Entertainment TWOM as the main contact, with the email twom-ent@twom-ent.com and phone number +82-70-4788-1056 provided for questions about the Olympiad.
For student teams and advisers in Northern Luzon, the practical next step is to review the Startup Plus project page together, check key dates against school calendars, and shape one focused startup idea that can be clearly explained in English within the pitch format.
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