The deadline for the Third Annual Nebraska Governor’s New Venture Competition is set for Dec. 26, 2025. The Governor’s New Venture Competition celebrates and encourages student-led entrepreneurship and innovation in Nebraska.
The competition provides a meaningful learning experience for undergraduate and graduate students interested in pursuing an entrepreneurial opportunity now or at some point in their careers. The Nebraska ecosystem of startup founders, funders, and service providers will support these student teams through judging at the competition, also providing mentorship and general technical assistance.
The New Venture Competition is designed for student-led businesses at the idea and pre-seed stages. Students must be undergraduate or graduate students attending a Nebraska post-secondary educational institution at the time of application. Applicants must designate how their business falls into one of the eight industry tracks: Agtech, Bioeconomy, Fintech/Insurtech, Cleantech, Advanced Manufacturing, Bio/Healthtech, Emerging Media Arts, and Sportstech. Students must apply by Dec. 26 on the website, NeGovNewVenture.com. Semi-finalists selected will participate in a virtual pitch competition in early January, and six to eight teams will be selected to pitch in person to judges on Jan. 29, 2026. The competition finals will be held in conjunction with the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry Annual Meeting. The top three finalists will receive prize awards of $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000.
The Governor’s New Venture Competition is led by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, the NE Chamber, NPPD, and Invest Nebraska with funding from participating sponsors. To learn more about the competition, visit: NeGovNewVenture.com
More details at: https://negovnewventure.com/