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Rice Veterans Business Battle

Rice Business (Jones Graduate School of Business), Rice Business Veterans Association and Entrepreneurs' Organization of Houston

$30,000 in prizes (2026 cycle)

See if you qualify — free Visit official program ↗
The short version

National pitch competition for veteran or veteran-spouse founders; $30,000 in prizes in the 2026 cycle. Applications open November 11, 2026.

The Rice Veterans Business Battle is an annual national pitch competition for startups founded and actively managed by a U.S. military veteran or veteran spouse. The 2026 cycle offered $30,000 in non-dilutive prize money split between the top three winners; the 2027 prize has not been stated yet. Applications for the 2027 event open on November 11, 2026, and the event runs March 31 to April 1, 2027 in Houston. A student-ambassador screen leads to an Investor Selection Committee, which picks about 16 finalists who pitch live to judges. Finalists travel to Houston, and the written application sits behind a YouNoodle login.

Funding type
Grant
Level
Private
Amount range
$30,000
Realistic amount
2026 cycle: $30,000 split among the top three winners; the 2027 prize is not yet stated.
Deadline
Applications to compete are open; 2027 deadline not yet published
Status
active
States
Nationwide

Who qualifies

What it covers

Eligible expenses

  • Prize money for the business (use restrictions not published)

Ineligible expenses

  • See official program guidance

How to apply

  1. 1

    Wait for the 2027 page

    Applications open November 11, 2026 on the YouNoodle platform; the 2027 page was not yet published on 2026-10-17.

    ~10 min

  2. 2

    Submit the YouNoodle application

    The written questions sit behind a login and were not visible.

    ~4 hrs

  3. 3

    Investor committee and live pitch

    About 16 finalists pitch live to judges in Houston.

    ~15 hrs

Insider tip

Read the 2026 YouNoodle showcase page before November 11 to see the format, and apply early in the window: the 2026 cycle ran about eleven weeks.

Deadline & timing

Applications to compete open on November 11, 2026. In the 2026 cycle regular applications ran November 11 to January 31 at 11:59 pm, so a similar close is likely, but the 2027 date is not published. Event: March 31 to April 1, 2027.

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Last updated October 31, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.