Social entrepreneurship challenge · Ages 13 to 18 · Fully online
Cantillon Ventures is a global competition for students in Years 9 to 12. Teams of up to four step into the role of a consultant or chief executive, write a proposal, refine it through two rounds of feedback, and pitch live to a panel of senior investors and consultants.
Prizes
Prize money goes to the winning teams to help take their ventures further.
How it works
Everything happens online, so you can take part from any school in any country.
Every participant signs up individually through the registration form.
Work alone or in a team of up to four.
Use the resources below to learn the skills you need and understand the brief for each round.
Hand in your deliverables through the online forms and progress through the rounds.
The top five teams pitch live to the judges for a share of £1,750.
Guidelines
The written proposal tests your thinking, the video tests how you structure an argument, and the final tests how you hold up live in front of experienced investors.
Outline your idea and the social impact it would have.
Top teams go through to Round 2 on clarity, originality and impact.
Expand your Round 1 idea into a structured, professional video pitch covering:
The five strongest pitches go through to the final.
Present your solution, its impact and your reasoning within the time limit, then take questions from the judges.
Timeline
All deadlines close at 23:59 GMT on the date shown.
Last day to register individually.
Written proposal submitted.
Video pitch submitted.
Live pitches and winners announced.
Dates shown are from the 2026 competition. 2027 dates will be confirmed soon and are subject to change.
2026 results
teams entered the 2026 challenge. Five reached the final, and these three took home the prizes.
Our donors
Every prize awarded and every team that took part in 2026 was made possible by the generosity of our donors. Thank you for backing young people who want to build something that helps their communities.
The panel
Finalists pitch live to experienced people from strategy consulting and early-stage investing.
Partner, McKinsey & Company
Based in London, Natasha specialises in strategy, transformation and digital innovation for public and private sector leaders. She co-leads McKinsey's digital, technology and analytics work across Europe and works closely with QuantumBlack on applying AI to large-scale change. She holds a First in Economics from Cambridge and a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard, where she was a Fulbright Scholar.
Investor, Positron
Gijs invests at Positron, a European fund that backs scientist-entrepreneurs right as they start their companies, turning research in new materials, energy and biology into ventures. Positron recently partnered with Conception X to launch the Physical Innovation Lab for hardware and lab-based startups. Gijs is based in the Netherlands and studied at INSEAD.
Resources
Each brief contains the full task, judging criteria, templates and examples for that round. Read every file carefully before you start.
What to cover in your written proposal and how it will be marked.
Open brief → PDF · Round 2Structure, length and expectations for your recorded video pitch.
Open brief → PDF · All roundsEligibility, accountability and the policy on using AI in your submissions.
Open rules →About us
Cantillon Ventures is run by a student team from Winchester College, with coordinators who recruit schools across three continents.
Chief Executive Officer
Sets the direction and vision of Cantillon Ventures and co-led fundraising. Designed the curriculum, recruited the judges and built the team.
Chief Operating Officer
Runs operations and school partnerships and co-led fundraising. Designed the website and produced the posters and presentations for school outreach.
2027 challenge
Every student registers on their own, even if you already have teammates. Once you've signed up we'll email you the briefs, the confirmed dates and how to form your team.
Thanks for registering for Cantillon Ventures 2027. We'll email the briefs and confirmed dates to as soon as the challenge opens.