Hello startup people! Here’s the latest drop on Grants, Pitch Competitions, Awards, and Summits.
Several opps this week to receive pilots, purchase orders (this is rare!) or pitch to investors.
~Diane
💪 The Biggies
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Newly Added:
🎤 Pitch Competitions
Startup Avenue Competition by Volcano Innovation Summit – up to $275,000 investment + prizes
LatAm; all startups | May 29 | Apply Here
BRIDGES Cup Pitch Competition – $10,000 + $50K sponsorship
AI; GovTech; EdTech | May 29 | Apply Here
Startup Germany Pitch at Slush – Pitch at German Pitch Stage
Germany; Innovative startups | Jun 19 | Apply Here
T9 Pitchfest – Purchase order from Title Nine
Women-led; Products; Outdoor industry; Athletics | July 1 | Apply Here
Newtopia Now 2026 Conscious Beauty & Wellness Pitch – $10,000
Beauty & Wellness; Consumer brand; CPG | July 13 | Apply Here
HR Tech Pitchfest – $40,000 in prizes + booth at event
HR Tech; Future of Work | Aug 20 | Apply Here
The Power of the Pitch – Pitch at event
Canada; Women-led | Aug 31 (my guess) | Apply Here
💰 Grants
Dream Makers Founder Grant – $125,000 total pool
Women-led; non-beauty CPG | May 30 | Apply Here
💼 Events
Newtopia Now - Denver – Retail buyers; Investors
Products; Consumer brands; CPG | Aug 18-20 | Apply Here
🔨 Challenges
Future of Energy Conference Innovation Challenge – Present to policymakers, investors; cash prizes
Africa; Low-carbon; Circular economy; Batteries | May 31 | Apply Here
Defense & Dual-Use Tech Call for Investment – Investment
Israel; Dual-Use; Defense Tech | May 31 | Apply Here
Amcor Lift-Off Rigids Challenge – Present for pilot project, investment
Packaging; AI; Recycling | Jun 8 | Apply Here
GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition 2026 – $50,000
Africa; AgTech; Impact-focuse | Jun 28 | Apply Here
Miami-Dade Public Innovation Challenge – $100,000 + Test solution
Florida; Wastewater Ops & systems; AI | July 15 | Apply Here
Call for Code AI: United Against Trafficking – Pilot with NGO partners
AI; Human trafficking | July 30 | Apply Here
KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator Competition – Recognition
Growth-stage tech | July 31 | Apply Here
IBEX Start-Up Pavillion – Pitch to investors, industry
Marine boat tech | Aug 31 (my guess) | Apply Here
🏆 Awards
Women Startup Award 2026 – €24,000 total pool
Bavaria; Women-led; AI; Smart cities | Jun 15 | Apply Here
Best in Tech Awards 2026 by Startup Daily – Recognition
Australia; New Zealand; All startups | Jun 19 | Apply Here
Milken-Motsepe Prize in Circular Economy – $2,000,000 total prizes
Africa; Circular Economy; Social impact | Aug 13 | Apply Here
Closing Soon! Last Chance!
🤩 These lists get to be pretty long! View the full list - including all 20+ Last Chance Opportunities - by signing up here.
BIOINC 125K International Pitch Competition – $125,000 cash + prizes
BioTech | May 31 (my guess) | Apply Here
NFL HealthTECH Challenge – $100,000
Football helmet safety | May 28 | Apply Here
Startup Innovation Challenge – ₦5,000,000 + AWS credits
Nigeria; AWS | May 31 | Apply Here
Beyond the Deal Room curates grants, pitch competitions, awards, and tech summits for 13,000+ founders, VC’s and startup organizations. Over $100M global opportunities, mostly non-dilutive, are available across all verticals each year.
For Startup Organizations: Bring this list to your newsletter and community groups for FREE. Reply to this email for details.
Disclaimer: I receive no compensation for promoting any of these events. While I try to be as accurate as possible when posting requirements such as deadlines, it’s your responsibility to confirm all requirements.
📣 Who am I? Your biggest cheerleader. Startup operator, accelerator operations leader, and advisor to early-stage founders. Named a Top 100 Women Tech Leader (2024). I help founders tap into non-dilutive funding—grants, competitions, and beyond—to build traction between VC rounds. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
