Important Dates

Dates	Item
Oct. 13 – Nov. 14, 2025	Executive Summary Review Committee
Nov. 16, 2025, 11:59 pm CST	Intent to Compete Deadline
Nov. 19, 2025, 11:59 pm CST	Executive Summary Deadline
Dec. 16, 2025	Top Finalists Announced
Dec. 16, 2025	Richard L. Tourtellotte Scholarship Application Deadline
Jan. 27, 2026, 11:59 pm CST	Finalists Presentation Deadline
Jan. 30, 2026	Riata Business Plan Competition Finals

Overview

The Riata Business Plan Competition is the premier business plan competition hosted by the Riata Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The competition is open to all OSU students of any discipline with or without business experience. The goal of the competition is to promote entrepreneurship and small business development by showcasing student created, managed and owned ventures.  Students are provided with expert feedback and the opportunity to win scholarship money to help fund their ventures.

 

Participants receive expert feedback and compete for scholarship funding to support their business ideas. The multi-round format includes submission of an Executive Summary and a formal presentation to a panel of judges. Finalists will deliver an elevator pitch to a live audience on January 30, 2026.

 

Participants will enter their ventures into one of four competition tracks:

• Main Street Lifestyle Businesses should include products or services available for a larger market scope.
• Big City and High Tech Businesses should have an IP or technology component.
• Social Enterprises should implement solutions to social, cultural or environmental issues.
• Rising Entrepreneur includes anyone who received scholarship money from a previous Riata Business Plan Competition, no matter their previous track.

Scholarship & Breakdown of Distribution

Scholarships totaling $40,500 will be awarded to finalists across all tracks of the Riata Business Plan Competition.

 

Placement	Scholarship Awarded
1st Place	$4,000
2nd Place	$3,000
3rd Place	$2,000
Remaining Finalist Teams	$1,000
Elevator Pitch Winner	$500