Competition Details
Everything you need to know about participating in Diamond Challenge
Competition Categories
Business Innovation Track
This track is for teams focused on solving a customer or market problem with a new business concept. Judging emphasizes feasibility, growth potential, and creativity/originality.
- Feasibility in practice
- Growth potential
- Creativity, ingenuity, persistence, passion, and storytelling.
- Scalability of the model
Social Innovation Track
This track is aimed at solutions addressing societal or environmental challenges.
- Social impact
- Feasibility & Sustainability
- Education and accessibility tools
- Scalability and cost-effectiveness of the solution
- Creativity, ingenuity, persistence, passion, and storytelling.
Emerging Innovator Award
The Emerging Innovator Awards honor 100 outstanding high school students worldwide whose work drives community impact and societal progress.
It is separated from Business and Social track with a $20,000 prize pool.
Participation Requirements
Everything you need to know about eligibility and how to participate
Eligibility Requirements
- Age / Grade: High school students, aged 14-18 at the submission deadline
- Enrollment: Must be enrolled in an official high school / secondary education institution or program for the duration of the Challenge
- Team Revenue / Prior Submissions: The concept (business or social venture) must not have generated more than US$100,000 in total revenue before the submission deadline. If a concept has advanced to the final round in a previous Diamond Challenge, the same concept cannot be resubmitted
- One Team per Student / One Concept per Team: Each student may only participate on one team and submit one concept per competition cycle
- Advisor Requirement: Each team must have an adult advisor aged 21 or older. Multiple advisors are allowed, but only one appears as the official advisor in the team's submission
Team Formation Guidelines
- Team Size: Teams must consist of 2-4 high school students
- Age of Students: Students must be 14-18 by the submission deadline
- Advisor: One adult advisor (21+) required. They provide support and serve as point of contact
- Team Composition Across Schools: Students may be from different schools. No need for all to be from same school
- Original Work: The concept submitted must be created by the team members. If others (non-participating persons) helped conceive the idea, their legal names must be disclosed
Required Materials
- Written Concept Narrative: 3-5 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins. Must include problem, customers/beneficiaries, solution, differentiator, economics/sustainability, team capacity, and evidence of traction. Format: PDF
- Introductory Video: 60-second video introducing team and concept with names, problem, target audience, and solution. Must be accessible via public URL
- Pitch Deck: Slide presentation for pitching rounds (max 15 slides, recommended ~10 slides). Format: PDF
- Recorded or Live Pitch: Either live pitch event (in-person or virtual) or pre-recorded pitch video, selected during initial submission
- Contact Information: Names and unique email addresses for all team members and advisors
- Disclosure of Non-Team Contributors: Legal names of any individuals who contributed to the idea but are not on the team
Competition Timeline
Important dates and deadlines for Diamond Challenge 2026
Time Until Submission Deadline
Submission Window Opens
Registration and project submissions begin. Teams can start submitting their business plans and prototypes.
Submission Round
Teams work on their projects with mentor support. Submit business plans, prototypes, and pitch presentations.
- Mentorship matching begins
- Resource workshops available
- Regular check-ins with mentors
- Submission portal remains open
Submission Deadline
5:00 PM EST - Final deadline for all project submissions. No late submissions accepted.
- All materials must be uploaded
- Team registration completed
- Required documents submitted
- Confirmation emails sent
Judging Round
Expert judges review all submissions and select advancing teams for the pitching round.
- Initial screening of submissions
- Detailed evaluation by expert panel
- Scoring based on judging criteria
- Selection of advancing teams
Advancing Teams Notified
11:59 PM EST - Selected teams receive notification and begin preparation for live pitching round.
- Email notifications sent
- Pitch preparation resources provided
- Presentation coaching available
- Event logistics shared
Teams can pitch in person or online at the following date and location. Make sure to select right location when you submit applicaiton.
Toronto on March 7, 2026
Vancouver on March 8, 2026
Finalists Announced on the same day as the pitching event
Top teams in each category are announced and invited to the Limitless World Summit for final presentations.
- Category winners selected
- Summit invitations sent
- Travel arrangements begin
- Final presentation prep
Limitless World Summit
Final presentations, networking events, and awards ceremony. Winners announced and prizes awarded.
- Live final presentations
- Networking with industry leaders
- Awards ceremony
- Prize distribution
- Celebration events