Young Caymanian entrepreneurs have more time to enter a business contest offering cash prizes and advisory support.

The Cayman Islands Centre for Business Development has extended the deadline for its Small Business Expo Youth Pitch Competition to September 20, while moving the live final from October 1 to October 21 at Hotel Indigo in Grand Cayman.

The competition is open to entrepreneurs ages 14 to 24 and allows applicants to compete individually or in teams of two. Entrants must submit an original business idea and pitch deck in the first round, after which five finalists will be selected to present their ideas at the Small Business Expo.

The winner will receive CI $2,500, with CI $1,500 for second place and CI $1,000 for third. Winners will also receive business advisory services to support further development of their entrepreneurial ideas.

The deadline extension gives prospective entrants additional time to develop their concepts, prepare their pitch decks and decide whether to apply alone or with a partner.

“We want to give young people the opportunity to move beyond having a good idea and take the first steps towards turning that idea into a viable business,” said Thais Ducent, director of CICBD. The Youth Pitch Competition provides a platform for young entrepreneurs to build confidence, develop their business concepts and gain valuable exposure and feedback,” Ducent said.

The competition's focus on moving ideas toward viable businesses echoes other entrepreneurship programmes in Cayman, where organisers have increasingly combined pitch events with training, mentoring and business-development support.

Enterprise Cayman’s 2026 Business Design Competition, for example, drew more than 40 submissions and put finalists through workshops, meetings with project advisers and networking events before their final pitches.

One finalist, Erika Wilson of DayHireKY, said the experience helped push her beyond familiar limits.

“I’ve pushed boundaries that I didn’t know I had, and it has just been exceptional. I’m so grateful to have been part of this journey, and to Enterprise Cayman for giving me this opportunity to pursue what I think will be an amazing step toward innovation,” Wilson said.

For participants, the pitch could mark the beginning of something bigger - transforming a promising idea into a business with the potential to grow in Cayman and beyond.