2026 Rice Business Plan Competition
Applications Now Open for RBPC 2026!
Apply here by Saturday, January 31, 2026
April 9–11, 2026 | Houston, Texas
The 2026 Rice Business Plan Competition is presented by Rice Business, home of the #1 graduate entrepreneurship program in the country! We’re excited to announce that the competition is coming back to McNair Hall.
Organized for 25 years by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, which is Rice University's internationally-recognized initiative devoted to the support of entrepreneurship, RBPC offers an educational program mirroring real-world experience through this multi-day event for student startups from across the world.
Beyond just the world-renowned prizes, student startups spend time interacting with our judges and prize sponsors—providing valuable access and experience with both early-stage and later-stage investors.
2026 Rice Business Plan Competition
April 9-11, 2026 | Houston, Texas
The Rice Business Plan Competition exists so that student founders pushing to create new possibilities in technology, energy, healthcare and more can surround themselves with a powerful network; learn what it takes to secure investor funding; hone their pitch; and compete for big money. After a competitive application season, 42 startups will be invited to compete on a global stage for more than $1M in prizes at the 2026 RBPC.
Previous Competitions
For 21 years the Rice Business Plan Competition has provided student startups with mentorship, guidance and capital to help support them on their entrepreneurial journey! In 2020, the competition went virtual for the first time. Check out a few of our previous competitions' content, including elevator pitch videos, final pitches, photos and LivePlans.