Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary
For 250 years, small businesses have powered innovation, created opportunity, and strengthened local communities. Main Street Builds America – and through Freedom 250, SBA is honoring that legacy while investing in the next generation of builders, makers, and job creators.
Throughout 2026, SBA will launch a series of national initiatives to recognize American ingenuity, elevate small businesses, and reaffirm the role of Main Street in building America’s future.
Patriot Pitch Competition
Is your high-potential small business innovating and working to shape the future in your industry? If so, we want to hear from you!
SBA is hosting a nationwide pitch competition that will bring together entrepreneurs from across the country who are building and scaling businesses within their communities.
Selected businesses will be invited to participate in a live pitch competition in Washington, DC, which will culminate in a $1 million prize pool to celebrate the innovation and ambition that has driven American ingenuity for the past 250 years.
Submission guidelines
While not required to do so, you may use the suggested topics and example pitch to tell us all about your business and what you’re doing to drive innovation.
Upload your pitch using the submission link for your local District Office, below, by June 10 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Submissions must be in PDF format and are limited to 1 file upload.
As an example, a competitive pitch submission might include:
- Your business name, mailing and physical address, and a link to your business website or social media page (if available)
- The business owner’s name and contact information (such as email and phone number)
- Documentation confirming the year your business was established and its current standing in its state of incorporation
- A description of your product or services and your current mission statement
- A mini pitch video, lasting approximately 60 seconds, included via YouTube link
- A brief history of your business’s founding and development
- A description of how your business drives innovation in its sector (for example, by leveraging new technologies or new strategies to modernize its operations, and strengthening its competitive edge)
- A business plan with 3-year revenue forecast supporting the competition’s revenue eligibility requirement
- A list of the SBA capital products your business has utilized
- A description of the impact SBA capital products have had on your business
- A description of how you would use the prize money if you win the competition
Judging
Submissions will be evaluated by four stages of judging panels looking at how each business performs in the following categories:
- Strengthening American competitiveness
- Small business “punching above its weight”
- Economic impact and quality jobs
- Business fundamentals and execution readiness
The top 10 semifinalists will be announced the week of July 4, 2026, during the Great American State Fair. The five finalists will be invited to participate in a live pitch competition in Washington, DC.
The competition is open to:
- U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years of age at the time of submission (or teams of such individuals)
- Private entities or teams that meet SBA’s definition of a small business
- Individuals submitting on behalf of corporations, nonprofits, or other organizations or groups of individuals (such as an academic class or other team) must meet the eligibility requirements for individual contestants.
- An individual cannot belong to more than one team submitting an entry in this competition.
Your business must:
- Have a minimum of 3 years in business operation
- Have a gross revenue production of at least $100,000 annually
- Have benefited from one or more of the following SBA capital products:
- 7(a) loans (including Paycheck Protection Program loans)
- 504 loans
- Microloan Intermediary loans
- SBIR / STTR funded entities
- SBIC financed small business concerns
- Note: participants who received COVID-19 EIDL loans or SBA Disaster loans are not eligible based on those loans but may be eligible if they received the capital products listed above.
- Be current and in good standing on any federal obligations. Businesses that have, at any time, defaulted on a federal loan or federally-guaranteed financing that has resulted in the federal government or any of its agencies or departments sustaining a loss in any of its programs and businesses owned or controlled a person who previously owned, operated, or controlled a business which defaulted on a federal loan or guaranteed financing and caused the federal government or any of its agencies or departments to sustain a loss in any of its programs are ineligible to apply for the competition. For purposes of the competition, a compromise agreement as described at 31 C.F.R. 3711 shall also be considered a loss.
- Be headquartered and operated in the United States and/or its territories
- Be 100% owned by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents
- Actively drive innovation in your sector, leveraging new technologies or strategies to modernize operations or strengthen your competitive edge
Finalists must be available to travel for the national pitch competition, which will occur on one day between September 8th – 18th (to be finalized at a later time), at their own expense.
Eligible participants must agree to assume risks of personal injury/property damage arising from their participation in the competition and waive such claims against the government or competition judges to enter the competition.
Additional eligibility requirements
The competition is not open to:
- SBA employees and contractors
- Federal entities
- Non-SBA federal employees acting within the scope of their employment
- Individuals or organizations that are currently suspended or debarred by the federal government
Disclosure of information
Requests for information about another party may be denied unless SBA has the written permission of the individual to release the information to the requestor or unless the information is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The Privacy Act authorizes SBA to make certain “routine uses” of information protected by that Act. One such routine use is the disclosure of information maintained in SBA’s system of records when this information indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal, or administrative in nature. Specifically, SBA may refer the information to the appropriate agency, whether Federal, State, local or foreign, charged with responsibility for, or otherwise involved in investigation, prosecution, enforcement or prevention of such violations. Another routine use is disclosure to other Federal agencies conducting background checks but only to the extent the information is relevant to the requesting agencies’ function. See, 74 F.R. 14890 (2009), and as amended from time to time for additional background and other routine uses.
Freedom 250 Main Street Tour
Main Street Builds America – Community by Community
As part of Freedom 250, the Main Street Tour celebrates the small businesses and local economies that have driven American growth for 250 years – bringing the national commemoration directly to communities across the country.
- A 50-stop Main Street tour
- Collaboration with chambers of commerce, community organizations, and local leaders
- Focus on rural and industrial communities critical to America’s economic strength
Celebrate our nation’s birthday
America is celebrating with events that honor our history, showcase the beauty of the country, and ignite innovation.
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