Swim with the Sharks Pitch Competition in Delaware

The Swim With the Sharks Pitch Competition is an entrepreneurial funding opportunity offered by the Emerging Enterprise Center (EEC), an incubator program located in Wilmington, Delaware. This competition is designed to support early-stage for-profit businesses based in New Castle County by offering them a chance to pitch their business ideas and potentially win support. EEC is known for facilitating entrepreneurship and business growth in the local community, providing essential services like education, networking, and strategic support to startups and emerging companies. The competition's purpose is to promote business innovation and development by identifying promising ventures that are in their initial growth stages. The competition supports entrepreneurs with viable, well-articulated business concepts and offers a structured environment in which to present these concepts. Businesses are judged based on the quality of their submissions and the clarity of their value proposition, market understanding, and financial projections. Participants will undergo a two-stage pitching process: first a virtual pitch, followed by a live, in-person pitch at the finals. This dual format allows for rigorous evaluation and community involvement in selecting the winner. Only for-profit businesses that have been operating for fewer than five years and are physically located in New Castle County are eligible to apply. Additional eligibility requirements include holding a valid business license at the time of submission and being available to pitch in person at the final round on October 1, 2025, at Penn Cinema in Wilmington. The competition does not accept edits after submission and requires complete applications, including a pitch deck and a business outline, in a specific format. These documents must be in PDF format, limited to five single-sided pages, and must follow specific formatting rules including font type and size. The application process opened on June 2, 2025, and the final deadline for submissions is August 4, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Eligible applicants will be invited to present a five-minute virtual pitch between August 18 and September 5, 2025. From there, three to five finalists will be chosen based on combined scores from the written and oral submissions. The final event, where the selected finalists will present in person, is scheduled for October 1, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Judging criteria focus on the feasibility of the business, the clarity of the market need and opportunity, articulation of the value proposition, go-to-market strategy, and realistic financial projections. The final winner will be chosen based on a combination of judge evaluations and an audience vote. No funding amounts or number of awards are specified in the source, and there is no indication of whether matching funds are required. For any inquiries or further information, applicants can contact the Emerging Enterprise Center directly at their physical office located at 920 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, or by phone at (302) 737-4343. Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All interested parties must ensure they can participate in both the virtual and in-person pitching rounds, as the competition disqualifies applicants who cannot attend these scheduled events.

Once submitted, the application cannot be saved or edited. Applicants should prepare all materials in advance and review for completeness before submitting.