Central Mass Shark Tank Business Competition 2026
No idea is too big or too small!
No one is too young or too old to bring an idea forward!
Team, Family, Lone Wolf – bring your idea to the table!
Submit your pitch by 12/15/2025
5-minute pitches, followed by Q&A
Local businesses and banks to judge and fund winning pitches!
All proceeds go to the Lunenburg Skatepark.
Location: Lunenburg MHS Auditorium, 1079 Massachusetts Ave, Lunenburg, MA 01462
Date: January 17th
Time: 6:00 -8:00 pm
Competition Rules
The pitch should provide a vehicle for describing in a clear and concise manner to a solution to a problem or social issue.
- Must be appropriate for a professional setting (no nudity, swearing, derogatory notions, etc.)
- Pitches must be AT MOST 5 minutes in length, no longer
- Individuals or teams of up to three individuals are allowed
- Contestants should be dressed professionally (or appropriately for their idea)
Pitch rules
- Visual aids are allowed
- The sharks may ask questions and provide suggestions for improvement.
- Each pitch will be followed by a question-answer session with the sharks, who are free to ask for any clarification or justification they need.
- Pitches will be judged according to the rating sheet. Sharks’ scores are final.
- All participants must abide by a code of conduct promoting respect and fair play.
- Proposals must be original and have a clear problem or issue that is trying to be solved.
Judging Guidelines
Making an effective pitch begins with having a strong grasp of the main components you need to sell your product. All components are needed; leaving a component out will create a gap in the story you are trying to tell. The six components simply answer the questions:
- What is the problem?
- What is the solution?
- Who will it help?
- Who are your competitors?
- What resources are needed?
- What’s the business model?
- Event organizers reserve the right to disqualify any team for rule violations.
No prior contact: You cannot have any contact with the Sharks or their teams before the event.
Know your numbers: Be prepared to justify your ask with clear financials, including your valuation, even if you are pre-revenue.
Be confident and passionate: Demonstrate your passion for your business and believe in your ability to succeed.
Keep it simple and clear: Your pitch should be easy to understand and clearly state what you will accomplish with the investment.
Be prepared: Practice your pitch and any demonstrations until they are flawless. If you have a prototype, make sure it works perfectly.
Do not try to know-it-all: Present your business in a way that shows confidence without being arrogant.
Sharks evaluate pitches based on creativity, feasibility, impact, and presentation.
Sharks provide constructive feedback and score each pitch immediately after the Q&A.
Sharks’ scores account for 75% of the final evaluation.
After each pitch, Sharks may offer funding, mentorship, or resources on the spot.
After each series of pitches, gold/silver/bronze awards are distributed based on scores.
Audience
Audience members receive tokens or digital credits to “vote” for their favorite pitches.
Audience votes count for 25% of the final evaluation.
Optionally, the audience may pledge small real donations to projects they support.