Registration Guidelines:
Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competition
Watch an Information Session
Learn more about the Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competition. We’ll cover upcoming deadlines, competition expectations and answering your specific questions. Watch the Video
The Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competition is open to any currently enrolled student at the high school, undergraduate or graduate level in California. The competition is designed to help participants define their business idea and communicate it concisely using a poster and short pitch. No business experience is necessary to enter.
Registration for the 2027 Little Bang! will open in November 2026.
Participation and Submission Guidelines
- Registration for the 2027 Little Bang! will open in November 2026. Join our mailing list for updates on Institute events, including Little Bang!
- February 4, 2027 | Registration Closes at 1 PM
- February 8, 2027 | Deadline to send poster file to Reprographics for printing. Deadline to upload the PDF of your poster and submit your five customer-call summary document to Startup Tree.
- February 11, 2027 | Present your poster and deliver your 90-second pitch to spectators and judges.
Notes to Past Competitors:
- If you competed in a Little Bang! competition in the past academic year and your poster did not receive an award, you may refine it and/or register for this upcoming competition with a new poster.
- Any business idea that won a Little Bang! award in a past academic year is not eligible to compete.
Poster Requirements and Templates
Posters must be presented in a 36” by 48” format (portrait or landscape). Use a logo, pictures and graphics wherever appropriate. You are required to include (but are not limited to) the following information:
Business idea (overview): Describe the business in 1-2 sentences, succinctly summarizing the important information indicated below.
What (problem and solution): Describe the problem you are solving, and how your business idea will address that problem. Incorporate what you learned from the 5 customer calls you made.
Who / Where (target market): Describe your target market, including the primary users of the product/service and the intended customers (i.e., purchasing decision makers).
How (differentiation): Describe what sets your business idea apart. If someone is already providing a similar product/service, how is your solution better or different?
Download vertical poster template Download horizontal poster template
Poster Submission Guidelines
Participants who submit their posters according to the following guidelines and deadlines will have their posters printed free of charge for the competition.
How to submit your poster for printing:
* Submit your poster directly to UC Davis Reprographics by February 8, 2027 at 1 PM
* Go to UC Davis Reprographics
* Enter Contact Information:
– Enter your name and contact information.
– Click "University Billing String" and enter “Little Bang!” into the text fields labeled "Billing String" and "Department".
– Enter “Pickup at LaRue Rd.”
* Enter Project Information:
– Title of Project: Little Bang! <enter your team name>
– Expected Delivery Date: February 11, 2027
– Number of Large Format Files: 1
– Number of Copies: 1
– Poster Size: 36x48
– Type of Material: Paper: Matte Bond
– Lamination Options: None
– Mounting Options: None (poster boards are provided the night of the competition)
– Finishing Options: None
Teams will be notified by UC Davis Reprographics when their poster is ready for pick up at the 650 LaRue Rd. Reprographics location. Each team is solely responsible for submitting their poster to Reprographics, picking it up and bringing it to Gallagher Hall on February 11, 2027.
Note: Your team is responsible for submitting your poster to UC Davis Reprographics no later than February 8, 2027 at 1 PM. Teams that do not submit their poster by the deadline will be responsible for paying Reprographics to print their poster. Note that you must have a properly printed poster to compete on February 11.
Pitch Requirement
Prepare a 90-second pitch to deliver to spectators and judges during the competition. Note that props cannot be used during your team's pitch.
Customer Call Requirements and Templates
As you prepare for the Little Bang! Pitch + Poster Competition, use the Customer Call Summary Template provided below. Ask questions of at least five people (potential customers) to test whether you are working on the right problem and making accurate assumptions regarding your business idea. You are required to integrate this information into your poster and submit your completed Customer Call Summary as part of your StartupTree submission.
Customer call guidelines and script
Customer call summary template
Rules and Regulations
Questions?
Email us at [email protected]