Official Competition Rules
Last updated: July 2026. These rules apply to all Launch League pitch competitions.
This page is written in plain language to be clear and fair for entrants, parents, and teachers. It's not a substitute for formal legal terms — see our Terms of Service for that. If anything here is unclear, reach out at admin@launchleague.ca.
1. Eligibility
- Open to anyone ages 13 and up, residing anywhere in Ontario, Canada.
- Some categories carry an additional age range on top of the 13+ minimum (for example, one category is reserved for ages 13-17, another for ages 18-25). Check the specific category on the Competitions page before entering.
- You can enter as an individual or as a team. Each person or team may submit one entry per category.
- Entrants under 18 should let a parent or guardian know they're participating. Launch League does not require a separate signed consent form to enter, but we recommend involving a parent or guardian, especially for anyone attending in-person judging.
- Launch League staff, judges for the category they are judging, and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter that category.
2. How to Enter
- Register your interest at /competitions/join, then submit your full entry at /competitions/submit before the deadline.
- The current submission deadline is March 31, 2027. Late entries are not guaranteed review — get it in early if you can.
- A complete entry includes: your business/idea name, your name and contact info, your chosen category, a written pitch summary, and optionally a short pitch video.
- You may use Launch League's free 1-page business plan builder, the free Business 101 course, or the paid Elite Business Plan Maker to help prepare your entry — none of these are required to enter.
3. Judging
- Entries are reviewed by volunteer judges from the Ontario business and non-profit community.
- Every entrant who submits a complete entry receives feedback, whether or not they place.
- Judges generally look at: how clearly the problem is explained, how realistic the proposed solution is, how well the entrant understands their customer, and how prepared and thoughtful the overall submission is. This is offered as general guidance, not a fixed scoring rubric.
- Judging decisions are final. Launch League does not offer a formal appeals process, but you're always welcome to reach out with questions at admin@launchleague.ca.
4. AI Assistance & Fairness
- You're welcome to use AI tools — including Launch League's own free and paid business plan tools — to help prepare your entry.
- Using a paid tool never affects judging. Judges are not told which entrants used a paid tool, and paying for it provides no scoring advantage of any kind.
- You remain responsible for the accuracy of your own submission. AI-assisted writing can still get facts, numbers, or claims wrong — review everything before you submit it.
5. Prizes
- Advertised prize amounts (currently up to $8,500 total across all categories) are supported by sponsorship funding. If sponsorship targets aren't fully met by the time winners are announced, Launch League reserves the right to adjust prize amounts for that competition cycle — we'll always communicate this clearly to entrants and winners rather than surprise anyone after the fact.
- Winners may be asked to confirm their eligibility and provide basic information needed to receive a prize before it's issued.
6. Your Idea Stays Yours
- You keep full ownership of your idea, business, and any intellectual property in your submission. Entering a Launch League competition does not give Launch League, its judges, or its sponsors any ownership or license over your idea.
- Submissions are treated as confidential by judges and staff and are not shared outside the judging process without your permission.
- If you'd rather not share sensitive details (like an unfiled patent idea or proprietary technical specifics), it's okay to describe your idea at a level you're comfortable with — judges can still evaluate a well-explained concept.
7. Conduct
- Entries must be your own original work. Plagiarized submissions, knowingly false information, or harassment of judges, staff, or other entrants may result in disqualification.
- Launch League reserves the right to disqualify any entry that violates these rules, at our reasonable discretion.
8. Sponsors & Independence
- Sponsors may have their name attached to a specific award, but sponsors do not select winners and have no influence over judging outcomes.
- If a sponsor has a direct personal or business relationship with an entrant, that sponsor is excluded from any input on that entrant's category.
9. Publicity
- We may ask winners and participants if they're willing to be featured (photo, quote, short write-up) in Launch League promotional materials. This is always optional and asked for directly — never assumed.
10. Changes to These Rules
- Launch League may update these rules as the program grows. The version posted here at the time you enter is the one that applies to your entry.