Apply to Pitch

Welcome! 🎤✨ Thanks for kicking off your application for the 2026 Pitch Contest sponsored by Signal Financial—a celebration of bold ideas, local hustle, and small businesses making big moves across the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia). This competition is designed for small, community‑based businesses operating for 1–3 years who are ready to step up to the mic and pitch their business for a chance to win cash prizes, free event space, and marketing support. We’re especially excited to spotlight businesses rooted right here in the DMV, serving and strengthening their local communities. Please complete all fields in this application and submit it to enter. Our selection process intentionally looks for a diverse mix of businesses across industries, and we strongly encourage eligible businesses to apply. The application window closes on August 1, 2026. Applicants selected to participate will be notified via email shortly after. First‑round, in‑person pitches: late August 2026. Final round: October 2026, featuring the Top 10 finalists. We’re excited to learn about you, cheer on your business, and (fingers crossed) see you pitch live on stage! Want more information on the Pitch Competition, visit our Pitch Competition page to learn all about the competition. Visit https://www.signalfinancialfcu.org/signal-pitch-competition

Name (Who’s filling out this application? Tell us your full name—or what you prefer to be called when we’re cheering you on.)

Your Pronouns(Let us know how you’d like to be addressed. This is about respect, not rules.)

Email Address (This is how we’ll contact you regarding your selection status and where we’ll send important contest details. We promise not to spam you—your inbox deserves peace.)

Phone (This gives us a quick way to reach you if there’s a last‑minute update, schedule change, or time‑sensitive question about the contest. We promise—no spam, no surprise calls.)

Business Name (Please include your official registered business name and your trade name (also known as “Doing Business As”), if you use one.)

Business Address (Tell us the city and state where your business operates—even if your office is a laptop at your kitchen table.)

Apartment, suite, etc

City

State/Province

ZIP / Postal code

Country

Business Website (Do you have a website? (It’s 2026… so we’re guessing yes 😉) Drop the link so we can learn more about your business and decide how best to hype you up online.)

May we include your website link in our social media posts? We love promoting local businesses, but only with your permission.YesNo

Primary Industry — Every great pitch needs context. Tell us which industry best describes your business so we can compare apples to apples (and food trucks to food trucks).

Owner Representation (Optional) — We support all businesses in our community. If you’re proud to identify as part of an underrepresented or underserved group, we’d be honored to highlight that. Totally optional. Not required. No impact on acceptance

Social - Instagram

Social - Facebook

Social - LinkedIn

Social - Other

Business Documents Attachments These help us understand your business beyond the pitch. Please upload ALL THREE required items so we can review your application completely. If your files are too large to upload, you may email them to: BusinessBanking@signalfinancialfcu.org. Please include your business name, your human name, and “Pitch Contest” in the subject line so we can keep things organized. Required uploads: (1) Business Logo. High‑quality image preferred—we’ll use this for social media and other contest marketing materials. (2) Most Recent Income Statement. This helps us understand the financial health of your business. (3) Business Plan. Formal or informal is fine—we’re looking for clarity and thought, not perfection. (4) Optional (but encouraged): Short Intro Video (under 2 minutes). This is not your official pitch! Just a quick hello to help our selection committee get to know you and your business personality.

May we include your logo, photos, or videos of you in our social media posts? — The Pitch Contest is a live event—and we love capturing the energy. From photos and videos to your business logo, this helps us showcase contestants and promote local businesses across the DMV. By agreeing below, you’re giving Signal Financial permission to use approved photos, videos, recordings, and your provided logo for marketing and promotional purposes related to the Pitch Contest. This may include social media posts, website content, email communications, and other Signal Financial marketing materials. We promise to keep it professional, positive, and aligned with celebrating your business.

Apply to Pitch

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