The 2026 John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition application portal is now open. The annual statewide competition will award a total of $100,000 in cash prizes to early stage Iowa startups and entrepreneurial ventures that intend to scale operations in Iowa. The John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition contest is intended to encourage and promote entrepreneurial activity and create greater awareness of the resources available to entrepreneurs in Iowa. We encourage innovative, new ventures to participate.
Iowa businesses that have been in operation for four years or less, or are not yet cash flow positive, are eligible to apply. This competition is open to businesses including, but not limited to, technology, biotechnology, green technologies, medical, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, engineering, and education industries. Applying businesses must be registered in Iowa and intend to scale in Iowa.
The deadline for first-round submissions is May 15, 2026 and applicants will be notified if they’ve advanced to Round Two by June 1. The final awards announced on August 19, 2026 at an awards luncheon in Ames, IA. The detailed competition timeline and deadlines can be found at www.pappajohncompetition.com/.
Participants will be judged first on their written submissions; those who advance to the final round of the competition will give a formal presentation to a panel of judges. First place will be awarded $40,000, second place $25,000, and third place $15,000. Awards for other honorable mention categories will total up to $20,000.
Since 2006, the John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, supported by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, has invested $1.4 million into participating businesses, celebrating entrepreneurship across Iowa. The event is a collaborative effort led by the Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers at Iowa State University, Drake University, North Iowa Area Community College, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa.
To apply, visit www.pappajohncompetition.com. For additional information about applying to the competition, contact the NIACC Pappajohn Center at pappajohn@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4111.
