Helping Ideas Become Business: North Carolina’s Small Business Center Network (SBCN) Launches the SBCN Startup Showdown, powered by Wells Fargo

Every business begins with an idea, sometimes scribbled in the margins of a notebook, spoken over coffee with a trusted friend, or tucked away quietly until the timing feels right. Across North Carolina, thousands of people have those ideas. And now, for the first time, there is a pathway to bring them to life, no matter where they live in the state.

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.

Applications open March 1, 2026, and close April 7, 2026. Sixteen finalists, two from each of NCs eight SBCN regions, will be selected to participate in an intensive 4-month journey that includes business training, coaching, pitch development, and a statewide showcase in Raleigh.

Why Now?

This announcement comes just days before communities across the country recognize Small Business Saturday, a moment when shoppers are encouraged to support the local businesses that shape their towns and main streets.

“While communities are celebrating small businesses already open, we also want to invest in the ones that have yet to open,” said Anne Shaw, State Director of the Small Business Center Network. “The SBCN Startup Showdown is about giving new founders the guidance, capital, and encouragement to turn ‘what if’ into ‘what’s next.’

“Wells Fargo has a long and proud tradition of supporting entrepreneurs, helping small business owners turn their dreams into thriving realities. We believe that when small businesses grow, communities grow and we are thrilled to support this amazing initiative in its inaugural year” says Suzie Koonce, Philanthropy and Community Impact Senior Consultant at Wells Fargo.

What Finalists Receive

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—known in the competition as Business Trailblazers, a nod to Wells Fargo’s historic legacy of pioneering growth.

Why Community Colleges?

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 Shaw. “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.”

Key Dates

MILESTONE	DATE
Applications Open	March 1, 2026
Applications Close	April 7, 2026
Finalists Announced	Late April 2026
Training Begins	Mid-May 2026
Statewide Showcase & Awards	August- September 2026

 

How to Apply

Entrepreneurs can learn more, view eligibility details, and apply starting March 1:
http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/sbcnstartupshowdown

Looking Ahead

“Small businesses anchor our communities,” said Suzie Koonce of Wells Fargo. “By supporting entrepreneurs early, before they even open their doors, we’re helping create the next generation of employers, innovators, and community leaders in North Carolina.”

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.