Applications for the 2026 Collegiate Great Brands Competition are closed!
Current students from any college or university with a consumer-focused business are invited to compete in the 2026 Collegiate Great Brands Competition on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Studio 225 (225 W. Broad St.) at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Each student business will bring their ideas, business and/or product for a chance to win total prize money of $25,000.
Important Dates
Deadline to Apply:
Friday, February 13, 2026
11:59 p.m. EST
Finalists Announced:
Monday, March 2, 2026
*subject to change*
Competition Day:
Join us on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 5 p.m. at Studio 225 in Athens to see teams pitch their businesses.
Eligibility & Rules
In order to qualify for the event, student teams must meet the following requirements:
- Open to all Undergraduate and Graduate-level students.
PMBA, EMBA, or PhD team is required to have at least one undergraduate student on the team that has made significant contributions to the business concept, strategy, or development of the venture and who serves as a presenter or co-presenter. - If a member of the team has graduated, they must have graduated within the past three semesters.
- Businesses must have less than $2 million in cumulative lifetime sales plus cumulative lifetime third party funding, grants or awards.
- Business must be consumer-focused (business to consumer).
Accommodations
Teams are eligible for a maximum travel stipend of up to $1,500, including hotel accommodations.
2026 Winners
Congratulations to our first place winner, Saron Mechale with goTeff, Inc from Michigan State University! goTeff, Inc. is a delicious on-the-go crisp made from the ancient Ethiopian super-grain, Teff.
Second place is Crack’d Up from University of Wisconsin and USC! Crack’d Up is the first line of flavor-infused whole liquid eggs.
Third place is PetHealthCare Innovations from Florida Atlantic University! Pet HealthCare Innovations is a line of mobility and toileting aids for man’s best friend.
Previous Winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | BRCĒ, Michigan State University |
| 2024 | ChiChi Foods, Washington University at St. Louis |
| 2023 | Swake, University of Georgia |
| 2022 | Gently Soap, University of Georgia |
| 2021 | Quokka Brew, University of California-Berkeley |
| 2019 | Celise, American University |
| 2018 | Cleancult, Babson College |
