River pitch competition

November 18, 2025

Submit your intent to Compete
sign-up to be a judge

The River Pitch Competition was created to help innovators and entrepreneurs with new ideas and early-stage businesses obtain feedback on their work and potentially win one of 10 different $1,000 prizes. The competition provides a way for each competitor to get valuable feedback on the idea presented. Contestants may meet someone who can help develop the idea into a business. 


Deadline to Sign-up to Compete: November 3, 2025

What to expect

  • Date: November 18, 2025
  • Location: Tuscaloosa River Market
  • Address: 1900 Jack Warner Parkway, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
  • Time: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
  • Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided
  • DEADLINE to register to compete: November 3, 2025
  • There is no entry fee to attend or participate in River Pitch.
  • Teams must register in the Fall of 2024 in order to compete.
  • The competition is open to students, faculty, staff, and community members.
  • Competitors must reside within West Alabama.
  • This competition is geared towards early-stage businesses/ideas. If the AEI team deems that an idea is too far along, the team may be disqualified from participating.
  • Previous River Pitch competition winners should not pitch the same idea. People who pitch a more established business and perhaps one that won a different competition (e.g., Aldag) can compete ONLY if there are other people at the same level so we can create an established concept booth and if there is space left to add this type of booth. You may contact the AEI team with further questions.
  • The venue will be divided into several different booths for the competition. Student and Community competitors will be assigned to separate booths. Teams only pitch at their designated booth and judges will determine the booth winner.
  • A booth is a limited space within the River Market, divided by drapes. Everyone is pitching at the same time, and the room does get noisy. The judges are sitting right in front of the person pitching; however, you still need to project enough when speaking to assure the judges can hear the responses.
  • Only one person can pitch an idea; however, if needed a team member in the audience can assist to answer a question.
  • The presenter may use notecards or showcase a prop/prototype to help convey the idea. However, no slides/presentations will be allowed.
  • Contestants will have up to 3 minutes to pitch and up to 5 minutes to answer questions from the judges.
  • All ideas pitched must be the original work of the entrants.

Thank you to our sponsors

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2024 winners
2023 winners
2022 winners
2021 winners