MADE IN TCI 2026 – PITCH ME! RULES, REGULATIONS, & REGISTRATION

ABOUT THE PITCH ME! COMPETITION

The Pitch Me! Competition is designed to provide local entrepreneurs and businesses participating in Made in TCI 2026 with an opportunity to showcase innovative products, services and business ideas to a judging panel, potential customers, investors and business support organizations. The competition aims to encourage entrepreneurship, strengthen business capacity, promote innovation and recognize outstanding local enterprises.

OBJECTIVES

The competition seeks to:

• Showcase innovative businesses in the Turks and Caicos Islands;
• Encourage entrepreneurship and business growth;
• Increase visibility for local businesses;
• Connect entrepreneurs with potential customers and investors;
• Promote locally produced goods and services; and
• Encourage product innovation and value addition.

ELIGIBILITY

Participants must:

• Be at least 18 years of age and a citizen of the Turks and Caicos Islands;
• Operate a business registered in the Turks and Caicos Islands or demonstrate that registration is actively being pursued, where applicable;
• Have the legal authority to represent and present the business; and
• Submit all required application materials before the deadline.

The following are not eligible:

• Members of the judging panel.
• Employees of the Department directly involved in administering the competition.
• Immediate family members of judges.

  COMPETITION FORMAT

The competition will comprise of the following:

 1.     Preliminary Round

Applicants are required to submit the following:

• Business profile;
• Product description; and
• Preliminary pitch summary

The Department of Trade will review the applications and shortlisted applicants will be notified of their presenting order. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

 2.     Pitch Training

All finalists will be required to participate in a free training session facilitated by the Department of Trade. The session will provide finalists with guidance on how to effectively pitch their products.

 3.     Final Round

On Friday, November 20^th, 2026, each finalist will receive:

• 5 minutes to pitch their product/service; and
• 5 minutes of questions from judges.

Maximum time per finalist will be 10 minutes.

 PITCH RULES

Each participant shall:

• Present only one business;
• Present original work;
• Be present at the scheduled pitch time;
• Remain within the allotted time;
• Conduct themselves professionally; and
• Present a short Business Plan (Executive Summary, Company & Product Description, Market Analysis, and Financial Projections).

Participants may use:

• Slides
• Product samples
• Demonstrations
• Videos
• Prototypes

Participants should ensure that their presentations can proceed without reliance on internet access, should there be connectivity issues.

 JUDGING CRITERIA

JUDGING PROCESS

• Judges shall score independently and scores will remain confidential.
• The highest overall score wins.
• In the event of a tie, the highest Innovation criteria score shall determine the winner.
• If still tied, the Head Judge shall determine the winner.

 PRIZES

🥇 First Place - $5,000

🥈 Second Place - $2,500

🥉 Third Place - $1,000

 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Participants will retain ownership of their business ideas, products and intellectual property.

Please Note: By participating, entrants grant the Department permission to photograph, record and promote their participation for marketing and reporting purposes.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Participants shall:

• Conduct themselves professionally.
• Treat judges and competitors respectfully.
• Avoid offensive or discriminatory language.
• Comply with directions issued by organizers.

 DISQUALIFICATION

The Department may disqualify any participant who:

• Provides false information.
• Breaches the competition rules.
• Exceeds the allotted time after reasonable warning.
• Engages in misconduct.
• Attempts to influence judges.

 ORGANISER'S RIGHTS

The Department reserves the right to:

• Amend the competition schedule.
• Modify judging arrangements where necessary.
• Cancel the competition if circumstances require.
• Publish the names, photographs and results of winners.

 Interested applicants can apply to participate by completing the following application form – https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/u0UGK66PmE.

 The deadline to apply to participate in the Pitch Me! Competition is Friday, October 16, 2026.

 To stay updated with all Made in TCI event updates, competitions, vendor features, and behind-the-scenes content, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at @MadeInTCI.