WalMart Open Call Application 2025

Walmart is currently committed to investing $350 billion on products made, grown, or assembled in the U.S. Want to get in on the action with an opportunity to have your product sold on Walmart shelves? You need to apply for Open Call 2025!

Website: https://corporate.walmart.com/suppliers/investing-in-american-jobs/events/annual-open-call/open-call-2025
Dates: Apps close July 25, 2025 (notified September 2^nd if selected)
Location: Bentonville, Arkansas (pitch event is October 7-8, 2025)

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TechCrunch All Stages Conference

Formerly the TechCrunch Early-Stage Conference. At this one-day founder summit, you’ll get actionable advice and takeaways from top experts, meet other entrepreneurs taking similar journeys, share your own experiences and build the confidence to take the next steps towards growing your business.

Website: https://techcrunch.com/events/techcrunch-all-stage-2025/
Dates: July 15, 2025
Location: Boston, MA

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Veteran Shark Tank Applications Open

This shark tank-style event traditionally has a $50,000 grand prize, but can also lead to investment offers.

Website: https://veteransharktank.com/
Dates: December 8, 2025, to kick off Army/Navy Football Week, Applications traditionally open in July
Location: Traditionally CYTO/PHL in Philadelphia, PA

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South x Southwest (SXSW) Conference Applications Open

This mammoth conference is best known as an arts festival with an A-list musician lineup, but it has robust programming tracks for startups, tech, healthcare, transportation, and other industries.

Website: https://www.sxsw.com/conference/startups (or click the conference tab for other program tracks)
Dates: March 12-18, 2026, Applications for Panels and Showcases, and pitch applications are open now
Location: Austin, TX

Black Hat USA Conference

A cybersecurity-focused conference with robust trainings, briefings, tool demos, and networking.

Website: https://www.blackhat.com/us-25/
Dates: August 2-7, 2025 (Online available August 15-September 15, 2025)
Location: Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, and virtual

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Department of the Navy Gold Coast Small Business Procurement Conference

An opportunity to meet key government and industry contracting personnel through one-on-one matchmaking sessions, a hallmark of the event. The exhibit floor, has over 200 government agencies and industry organizations with procurement needs, including the ten Navy Systems Commands.

Website: https://www.navygoldcoast.org/
Dates: August 18-21, 2025 (Online registration closes July 28^th, 2025, at 5 p.m. On-site registration opens August 18th)
Location: San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA

America Small Business Development Centers’ Annual Conference

Roughly 1,200 attendees will gather to participate in 200+ workshops and attend keynotes for entrepreneurs aimed at imagining the small-town future of America.

Website: https://americassbdc.org/annual-conferences/ and also
https://nationaltraining.americassbdc.org/
Dates: Sep 2-5, 2025
Location: Orlando, FL

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Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition

This education-focused business and non-profit pitch competition awards $80,000 in prize money among four top finishers.

Website: https://www.educationcompetition.org/
Dates: September 11, 2025 (Finalists traditionally announced in August)
Location: New York City, NY

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Content Marketing World

This is THE conference for content marketers and is brought to you by the folks at Content Marketing Institute. Meet other content marketers and learn from 150+ industry leading speakers.

Website: https://www.contentmarketingworld.com/
Dates: Sep 15-17, 2025
Location: San Diego, CA

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Tech Up For Women West Coast Conference

The Tech Up For Women Conference is a hub of inspiration, idea exchange, and advocacy around the issue of the advancement of women through technology.

Website: https://techupforwomen.com/tech-up-sandiego/
Dates: September 18, 2025
Location: San Diego, CA

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Military Influencer Conference (MIC)

A conference for veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs. Previously, the Veteran Fund has held a $100,000 pitch competition, and Second Service Foundation has held a $25,000 pitch competition at MIC.

Website: https://militaryinfluencer.com/
Dates: Sep 21-24, 2025
Location: Signia by Hilton, Atlanta, GA

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AWBC Leadership Conference

This annual conference is put on by the Association of Women’s Business Centers, a nonprofit representing 100+ locations dedicated to women’s entrepreneurship.

Website: https://awbc.org/2025-leadership-conference/
Dates: Sep 22-25, 2025
Location: Washington D.C.

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Rally Innovation Conference

Billed as the “largest global cross-sector innovation experience,” this event also features a “Rally In Prize” pitch competition for up to 1mm in investments. You can sign up now to get alerts for when applications are live.

Website: https://rallyinnovation.com/
Dates: Sep 24-25, 2025
Location: Indiana convention Center, Indianapolis, IN

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SA Tech Fuel Pitch Competition Applications Open

A tech startup pitch competition with a $100,000 grand prize for Texas companies.

Website: https://satechbloc.com/tech-fuel/ (no 2025 information available)
Dates: Typically early October, Applications typically open in August/September
Location: San Antonio, TX

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TFX Capital Annual Veteran Startup Showcase Pitch Competition

No firm dates yet, but traditionally has prizes totaling over $100,000.

Website: https://tfxcap.com/ (no 2026 information available)
Dates: Traditionally September/October (Happened May 5, 2025)
Location: Charlotte, NC

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3686 Festival Powered by Launch Tennessee Conference

This is LaunchTN’s entrepreneur festival, with a variety of programming that will feature leading entrepreneurs, tech entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists.

Website: https://attend3686.com/
Dates: September 8-10, 2025
Location: Nashville, TN

Business Beyond the Battlefield Conference

BBBC is a 3-day business development and entrepreneur education experience for veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs

Website: https://bbbc.uta.edu/
Dates: October 8-10, 2025
Location: Arlington, TX

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TechCrunch Disrupt Conference

At this tech-focused founder summit, you’ll get actionable advice and takeaways from top experts, meet other entrepreneurs taking similar journeys, share your own experiences and build the confidence to take the next steps towards growing your business. New program tracks for business built around AI, FinTech, Hardware, SaaS, Security, and Sustainability.

Website: https://techcrunch.com/events/tc-disrupt-2025/
Dates: October 27-29, 2025
Location: San Francisco, CA

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IVMF’s V-WISE

Blurring the lines between training program and conference, Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) was created to empower women veterans and military spouses/partners to find their passion and learn the business savvy skills necessary to turn an idea or start-up into a growing venture.

Website: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/programs/entrepreneurship/start-up/v-wise/  (applications closed for 2025)
Dates: Traditionally twice a year in April and October
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

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CultureCon

Networking event targeting entrepreneurs of color that also features celebrity-studded launches and activations

Website: https://theccnyc.com/
Dates: October 4-5, 2025
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Capital Camp

Investors and entrepreneurs meet in a summer camp atmosphere that fills the spaces between traditional conference activities with summer-camp style activities for unique meet and greets.

Website: https://www.capitalcamp.com/
Dates: November 4-6, 2025
Location: Traditionally Columbia, MO

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Startup Mountain Summit

“Join startup founders from across the Southeast for 3 days of inspiration, education, and networking. Learn from the best speakers in the startup industry and take your startup to the next level.”

Website: https://startupmountainsummit.com/
Dates: November 6-8, 2025
Location: Johnson City, Tennessee

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MozCon Conference

A marketing conference that includes “non-stuffy networking and expert sessions delivered by industry leaders in SEO, search marketing, mobile, conversion optimization, local search, and more”.

Website: https://moz.com/mozcon
Dates: November 6, 2025
Location: New York City, NY

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SNVCC VetFest

This event is put on by the Southern Nevada Chamber of Commerce for veteran and military family entrepreneurs.
Website: https://snvcc.regfox.com/vetfest-2025
Dates: November 8, 2025
Location: The Lawn at downtown Summerlin, NV (western Las Vegas)

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Tech Up For Women NYC Conference

The Tech Up For Women Conference is a hub of inspiration, idea exchange, and advocacy around the issue of the advancement of women through technology.

Website: https://techupforwomen.com/event-details/
Dates: November 12, 2025
Location: Metropolitan Pavillion, NYC, NY

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Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Small Business Conference

SAME’s Federal Small Business Conference creates the biggest and best event connecting small businesses directly with federal government procurement decision makers, contracting officers, small business liaison officers, and leaders. The event brings together small businesses with large businesses that have teaming and sub-contracting opportunities in support of government work.

Website: https://www.samesbc.org/
Dates: November 19-21, 2025
Location: Pheonix, Arizona

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Veterans in Business (VIB) National Conference

This conference is designed to help Veteran businesses build connections between Corporations, Government Agencies, and Primes looking to create partnerships for contracting opportunities, putting you in front of key buyers and suppliers throughout the two-day event

Website: https://www.vibnetwork.org/
Dates: November 12-13, 2025 (Register Now!)
Location: San Diego, CA

VETCON

This premier annual conference dedicated to the education and professional growth of veterans, brings together a growing number of state agencies, owners of veteran-friendly businesses interested in growing their state government portfolios, veterans in transition, and 300+ visitors over the course of two days.

Website:  https://www.vetconny.com/
Dates: December 2-3, 2025
Location: The Crowne Plaza Desmond Hotel

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Veteran Shark Tank

This shark tank-style event traditionally has a $50,000 grand prize, but can also lead to investment offers.

Website: https://veteransharktank.com/
Dates: December 8, 2025, to kick off Army/Navy Football Week, Applications traditionally open in July
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Affiliate Summit West (ASW) Conference

At ASW, you’ll find thousands of partners of all shapes and sizes, from mass media publishers and bloggers, to coupon and cashback websites, to other brands with the same goals as you, to innovative technology partners.

Website: https://www.affiliatesummit.com/west?
Dates: January 12-14, 2026
Location: Caesar’s Forum, Las Vegas, NV

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LG Nova Mission for the Future Pitch Competition Applications Open

Traditionally selects up to 40 winners across 7 program tracks to work with LG for up to $100,000 investments or even 7-figure partnerships

Website: https://www.lgnova.com/join-the-mission (No 2026 info yet)
Dates: Apps run year round, winners traditionally announced at CES in January
Location: Las Vegas, NV

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Rice Business/Jones graduate School of Business Veterans Business Battle Pitch Competition Applications Open

Shark Tank-style event that historically has $30,000 in prizes, and has extended $5mm in investment offers to veteran entrepreneurs since 2015

Website: https://business.rice.edu/veterans-business-battle (No 2026 info yet)
Dates: Traditionally March (applications traditionally close in January)
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX

DistribuTech International Conference

A conference related to smart cities and tech startups that reshape cities

Website: https://www.distributech.com/welcome
Dates: February 2-5, 2026
Location: San Diego, CA. San Diego Convention Center

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Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant Applications Open

Hiring Our Heroes’ Small Business Grant Program, in association with the FedEx Founders Fund, will award five small businesses owned by veterans and/or military spouses with a one-time $10,000 grant to grow and support their businesses.

Website: https://www.hiringourheroes.org/small-business-grant/  (No 2026 info yet)
Dates: Winners traditionally notified in March (Applications traditionally close February)
Location: Virtual

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Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition Applications Open

This education-focused business and non-profit pitch competition awards $80,000 in prize money among four top finishers.

Website: https://www.educationcompetition.org/
Dates: September 10, 2025 (Applications traditionally open January and close February)
Location: New York City, NY

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FedEx Small Business Grant Contest Applications Open

This year, 1 grand prize winner receives $50,000 in grant money, 1 silver prize winner receives $30,000, and another 10 selections receive $15,000 in prize money. All winners receive between $7,500-1,000 in FedEx Office print and business services, as well.

Website: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/small-business/grant-contest.html (no 2026 submission info yet)
Dates: Apps traditionally open Jan-Feb, winners usually announced in May
Location: Virtual via pitch video

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MilVet Startups Conference

A great event celebrating the military veteran entrepreneur ecosystem.

Website: https://www.milvetstartups.com/
Dates: February 11-12, 2026
Location: San Francisco, CA, Marines’ Memorial Club

South x Southwest (SXSW) Conference

This mammoth conference is best known as an arts festival with an A-list musician lineup, but it has robust programming tracks for startups, tech, healthcare, transportation, and other industries.

Website: https://www.sxsw.com/conference/startups (or click the conference tab for other program tracks)
Dates: Mar 12-18, 2026
Location: Austin, TX

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RSA Conference

This cybersecurity-focused conference includes an innovation sandbox challenge that can put you in front of investors and their Shark Tank-Style Launchpad contest. Apps for both are traditionally due early Feb.

Website: https://www.rsaconference.com/usa
Dates: March 23-26, 2026 (No 2026 info yet on their website. Info used from www.triumfo.us/upcoming-trade-show/rsal-conference/)
Location: San Francisco, CA

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Rice Business/Jones graduate School of Business Veterans Business Battle Pitch Competition

Shark Tank-style event that historically has $30,000 in prizes, and has extended $5mm in investment offers to veteran entrepreneurs since 2015

Website: https://business.rice.edu/veterans-business-battle
Dates: Traditionally March (No 2026 info yet)
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX

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Veteran EDGE Conference

Hosted by Syracuse University’s D’aniello Institute for Veteran and Military Families (IVMF), veteran EDGE is aimed at growth stage companies ready to scale or scaling owned and operated by veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs.

Website: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/programs/entrepreneurship/growth/veteran-edge/
Dates: Traditionally March (No 2026 info yet)
Location: Dallas, TX

Adobe Summit Conference

The Digital Experience Conference is the premier event for digital marketers and advertisers to learn about and share key strategies for driving marketing innovation.

Website: https://summit.adobe.com/na/
Dates: April 19-22, 2026
Location: Las Vegas, NV with some virtual content

Startup Grind Global Conference

The Startup Exhibition is an annual showcase of startups from around the world who are building the next big thing. There are opportunities to pitch (apply on website now), get exposure, meet with investors and potential partners, and more.

Website: https://www.startupgrind.tech/
Dates: April 27-29, 2026
Location: Silicon Valley, CA

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Multicultural Small Business Lab Pitch Competition

M&T Bank searches for 50 entrepreneurs to participate in its annual Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab, a seven-week program that focuses on business planning, establishing credit, accessing capital, marketing, branding and networking. The course concludes with a pitch competition traditionally awarding $6k for first place, $4k for second place and $2k for third place, all funded by M&T.

Website: https://www.mtb.com/business/innovation-lab  (no information available for 2026 yet)
Dates: Applications traditionally open in April, Program traditionally runs May-June
Location: Moves each year

IVMF V-WISE

Blurring the lines between training program and conference, IVMF’s Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) was created to empower women veterans and military spouses/partners to find their passion and learn the business savvy skills necessary to turn an idea or start-up into a growing venture.

Website: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/programs/entrepreneurship/start-up/v-wise/ (No 2026 info yet)
Dates: Traditionally May (online course component traditionally April)
Location: Unannounced for 2026, often Atlanta, GA

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B2B Chicago Conference

E-commerce & digital marketing B2B networking conference for manufacturers and distributors.

Website: https://b2bmarketing.wbresearch.com/
Dates: May 4-6, 2026
Location: Chicago Marriott Downtown, Chicago, IL

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MedCity Invest Conference

INVEST unites active investors with corporate business development executives to facilitate investment opportunities with the most promising healthcare startups

Website: https://medcityinvestconference.com/invest/ (No 2026 info)
Dates: Traditionally May
Location: Often Chicago, IL

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SubSummit Conference

Conference for subscription-based services, featuring Netflix, Google, and the NBA, with a workshop and program track for subscription entrepreneurs.

Website: https://subsummit.com/
Dates: May 13-15, 2026
Location: Kansas City, Missouri

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StartUp World Cup Pitch Competition

Major pitch event where 2,500+ startups compete across 60+ regional events for a spot at the grand finale and a million dollar investment prize. 2024 Regional Events in LA April 30, Baton Rouge May 9, Minneapolis June 10, Silicon Valley Aug 1, Indianapolis Aug 27, Boston Aug 28, Albuquerque Sep 5, St. Louis Sep 9, Miami Sep 14, Reno Sep 18, Phoenix Sep 20, New York, Birmingham, Chicago, Orlando, Austin, and Sacramento [no dates yet]). No 2026 information yet, expect it in April or May.

Website: https://www.startupworldcup.io/ (No 2026 info yet)
Dates: Finale Event Traditionally in October (apps traditionally open in May)
Location: San Francisco, CA

National Veteran Small Business Coalition VETS’26 Conference

The VETS26 Conference is NVSBC’s premier annual event and the largest federal small business procurement event of its kind being held in-person in 2025. The VETS25 Conference enables business networking between procurement-ready small business suppliers and buyers from both Federal agencies and large GovCon prime contractors.

Website: https://s6.goeshow.com/nvsbc/vets/2026/index.cfm
Dates: June 1-4, 2026
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

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Deloitte Entrepreneurial Summit

Networking event focused on connecting entrepreneurs and investors.

Website: https://www2.deloitte.com/xa/en/pages/corporate-finance/events/entrepreneur-summit.html
Dates: Traditionally June
Location: Dallas, TX