A national pitch competition is offering $1 million in prizes to small businesses just like yours.

If you own a small business in Clearfield, this one is worth your attention. The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched the Patriot Pitch Competition as part of its Freedom 250 initiative, a nationwide celebration of 250 years of American small business and free enterprise. The competition features a $1 million cash prize pool, funded by Clover Network, and is open to eligible small businesses that have used qualifying SBA capital products.

In other words, if your business has ever used an SBA loan or other SBA-backed financing, you may be eligible to compete for a share of that prize money.

What is Freedom 250?

Freedom 250 is the SBA’s way of honoring 250 years of small business innovation, opportunity, and community building, while investing in the next generation of builders, makers, and job creators. Throughout 2026, the SBA is launching a series of national initiatives to recognize American ingenuity and reaffirm the role of Main Street in building the country’s future. That last part feels close to home for those of us working to strengthen downtown Clearfield every day.

How the competition works

Selected businesses will be invited to participate in a live pitch competition in Washington, D.C., with a $1 million prize pool at stake. The top 10 semifinalists will be announced the week of July 4, 2026, during the Great American State Fair, and the five finalists will travel to D.C. for the live event.

The application deadline is June 10, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. That is not far off, so if this sounds like something your business could qualify for, now is the time to look into it.

Who can apply?

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, at least 18 years old, and meet the SBA’s definition of a small business. The business must be 100% owned by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, and applicants must be available to travel to Washington, D.C. for the finals at their own expense. Note that businesses that only received COVID-19 EIDL or SBA Disaster loans are not eligible based solely on those loans.

Go for it

The businesses on our Main Street have been doing remarkable things for this community for a long time. This is a chance to tell that story on a national stage and potentially walk away with real funding to keep growing. We would love to see a Clearfield business in that finalist lineup.

Learn more and apply at sba.gov/freedom-250. The deadline is June 10, 2026.