The NC Community College System’s Small Business Center Network (SBCN) and the Wells Fargo Foundation are launching the SBCN Startup Showdown, a new statewide competition designed to support emerging entrepreneurs through mentorship, training and $60,000 in startup funding. This collaboration reflects Wells Fargo’s ongoing commitment to helping entrepreneurs thrive in communities across North Carolina, in partnership with the NC Community Colleges Foundation.

Whether someone already has an idea they’ve never shared, a concept they’re developing, or a business plan in the early stages, this competition is designed to help them take the next step. 

The Small Business Center at Bladen Community College is ready to assist potential business owners in applying for this new program. Bladen’s SBC Director Terri Dennison urges anyone with a business idea to schedule an appointment to discuss their concept and determine their eligibility. Dennison can be reached at 910-879-5572 or by email at tdennison@bladencc.edu.

Finalists accepted into the Startup Showdown will gain access to:

• $60,000 in total startup funding, distributed amongst the winners and their respective Small Business Center Network office
• An eight-week Pitch It! entrepreneurship online course
• One-on-one business counseling through their local Small Business Center
• Mentorship from subject matter experts—with up to $500 in customized advising available per participant
• Access to professional business planning tools and pitch coaching
• A professionally produced pitch video and the opportunity to participate in statewide public voting
• For the top three winners: up to $1,000 towards a local chamber of commerce one-year membership

The program culminates in a statewide pitch event in August 2026, where finalists will present to a panel of respected North Carolina business leaders and innovators.

With Small Business Centers at all 58 community colleges in the state, North Carolina already has the most accessible entrepreneurship support network in the country. Last year alone, SBCN programs helped launch more than 700 new businesses across the state. The NC Community Colleges Foundation’s partnership helps ensure that philanthropic investments, like those from Wells Fargo, are managed responsibly and directed toward high-impact programs that support entrepreneurship and economic mobility statewide.

“This competition is built on the belief that entrepreneurship doesn’t just live in big cities or tech hubs,” said State Director of the Small Business Center Network Anne Shaw in a press release. “It lives in small towns, in rural communities, in first-generation college students, in military families, and in people who simply want to build something of their own.”

Entrepreneurs can learn more, view eligibility details, and apply here:

http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/sbcnstartupshowdown. The deadline to apply is April 7.