Five Bay County Entrepreneurs to Compete for $11,750 at Pitch Competition

Five entrepreneurs will pitch their business ideas at John Glenn High School Auditorium on September 16 to compete for $11,750 in cash prizes at the 2026 Business by the Bay Pitch Competition. The Michigan Small Business Development Center is hosting the annual event to showcase local startups and their potential to grow Bay County’s economy.

The finalists have spent months preparing their pitches through The Michigan Small Business Development Center’s rigorous training program. “Our finalists have put in months of rigorous preparation, sharpening their financial projections and market strategies through SBDC training,” said Michelle Judd, SBDC consultant and pitch competition chair. “The level of innovation on stage this year is remarkable, and the capital awarded on September 16 will directly propel these businesses into their next phase of growth.”

The competition represents a direct investment in Bay County’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Rather than simply awarding money, the event offers finalists structured feedback and visibility with investors and community leaders who attend the auditorium event at 3201 Kiesel Road.

Supporting Local Innovation With Capital and Training

Business pitch competitions serve as critical checkpoints for early-stage founders navigating the gap between idea and execution. The SBDC training that preceded the September 16 event addressed specific barriers that prevent startups from scaling: unrealistic financial projections, unclear market positioning, and underdeveloped go-to-market strategies.

The $11,750 prize pool will be distributed among the winning finalists. This capital can fund inventory purchases, hiring, marketing, or equipment, tangible investments that move businesses from planning to operation. For founders without access to family capital or traditional bank loans, competitions like Business by the Bay offer a concrete path to funding.

Why Pitch Events Matter for Regional Growth

Bay County’s SBDC has positioned the pitch competition as a tool for broader economic development, not just individual business success. When startups receive capital, training, and public recognition simultaneously, they are more likely to hire locally and reinvest in their community.

The competition also surfaces emerging business ideas early. Winning founders often attract follow-on investment, media attention, and partnerships that extend far beyond the initial prize money. For a regional economy, that visibility can shift perception and attract talent and investment capital from outside the area.

The auditorium event on September 16 will mark the culmination of months of work by both the finalists and the SBDC. The competition directly addresses a persistent challenge for early-stage founders: accessing both capital and expert guidance at a stage when traditional lenders and investors often overlook emerging ventures.