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)
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 open November 11, 2026; 2027 deadline not yet published
- Status
- upcoming
- States
- Nationwide
Who qualifies
- Startup founded and actively managed by a U.S. military veteran or veteran spouse
- National; finalists travel to Houston
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Prize money for the business (use restrictions not published)
Ineligible expenses
- See official program guidance
How to apply
-
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.
~0.2 hrs
-
2
Submit the YouNoodle application
The written questions sit behind a login and were not visible.
~4 hrs
-
3
Investor committee and live pitch
About 16 finalists pitch live to judges in Houston.
~15 hrs
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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Required documents
- Online YouNoodle application (contents not public)
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