PGCC Veteran Shark Tank Application

PGCC’s Veteran Shark Tank is Prince George’s Community College’s annual business pitch competition. Entrepreneurs who are active duty, reservists, national guard, and veterans as well as dependents of any of the aforementioned individuals living in the Prince George's County Maryland and the greater DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) areas are eligible to apply.

Veterans and entrepreneurial dependents of veterans and service members outside of the DMV area may apply as well; however, priority is given to DMV area applicants.

This third annual pitch competition is made possible because of the generosity of our partner United Way. PGCC’s Veteran Services’ focus is to support veterans academically, professionally, financially, and personally.  Our mission is to continue supporting those who have selflessly served and protected us.

 Click the link to get to know more about 2022's winners: 2024 Veteran Shark Tank winners

THE COMPETITION PROCESS

The PGCC Veteran Shark Tank is a three-phase competition.

 

Phase I – Application Submission

Applications open Saturday October 12, 2024 at 8:00 am EDT and close Friday, February 28, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST. 

Ten semi-finalists will be contacted on Friday, March 15th, 2025 by 2pm EST.

Semi Finalists will participate in a virtual pitch round on Friday April 11th, 2025.  This will consist of a 5 minute pitch and a 3 minute Q&A round.

5 finalists will be selected to move forward to the final round to pitch live.

Phase II – Business Pitch Bootcamp and semi-final round

The top 3 applicants will be selected to participate in our Business Pitch Bootcamp. Don’t worry if this is your first time.  The goal of this phase is to help prepare you to pitch your business in front of a panel of judges. 

The Business Pitch Bootcamp will be virtual and will take place on Monday April 14th, 2025 at 12pm EDT. 

 

 

 Phase III – PGCC’s Veteran Shark Tank Live Pitch Event

Final round live (on campus) pitch competition date:  Thursday April 24th, 2025 at 5pm EDT

Each of the 3 finalists will be given 5 minutes to conduct their pitch.  This will be followed by 8 minutes of questions and answers from the judges.

Read and follow the instructions carefully prior to submitting your application. All winners will be notified at the Military Appreciation Dinner in April 24th, 2025.

Awards will be:

First place: $15,000

Winners will also receive 6 months of ongoing support and resources.

If selected, you will be asked for documentation to support the data you provide. This will include, but is not limited to, the following:

1.    DD-214 (if you are the dependent, you must submit the DD-214 of the military parent or spouse)

2.    Copy of current orders (for those currently on active duty)

3.    Letter from the state confirming your business is in good standing

Optional Informations 

Information regarding gender, ethnic origin and race are optional. The information is requested for post-grant report generation only and in no way affects your selection for college grant awards. However, providing this information may increase your opportunities for grants where donors have asked that priority consideration be given to entrepreneurs meeting certain demographic criteria (such as minority status, business type, etc.)

By submitting this form you are agreeing to our program terms, conditions and privacy policy.

Link to the rules and eligibility will be provided to the email address listed in the participants' application.

By signing the space below, you are certifying that all information is correct and that you are the person completing this application. When you press the submit button, you will receive an email confirmation that your application was received. Please print for your records and retain as verification of your application.

 

DMV Shark Tank Committee is committed to equal opportunity for all. The commitee does not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, marital status, or any other protected class.