Feb. 20—The Small Business Development Center at Missouri Southern State University will hold its inaugural Pitch Palooza on Thursday, March 28.

This is a free pitch competition open to all experience levels with tracks available for high school students, college students, those with pre-venture concepts, and participants who are ready to scale up their existing business.

“The contest is an excellent opportunity for budding and established entrepreneurs in the region to share their ideas, get feedback, and compete for prize money that can be used to make their businesses a reality,” Dan Cravens, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at MSSU, said in a statement.

A panel of judges will review each pitch and award the following prizes to the winner of each track:

—High School Track: $1,000 scholarship to MSSU, provided by the MSSU Foundation.

—Collegiate Track: $1,000 scholarship to MSSU, provided by the MSSU Foundation.

—Pre-Venture Track: A one-year membership to the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, valued at $420, with cash prizes to be announced soon.

—Scalability Track: A one-year membership to the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, valued at $420, with cash prizes to be announced soon.

The community is invited to attend the event.

“We’re thrilled to introduce this event to our community. Our aim is for it to spark inspiration across diverse entrepreneurial sectors, foster collaboration and provide additional resources they may need to turn their dreams into reality,” Katie Kelly, director of the Small Business Development Center and Center for Entrepreneurship at MSSU, said in a statement.

The event will be held inside the Plaster School of Business on the MSSU campus.

Anyone interested in pitching their ideas should register by 5 p.m. Monday, March 18.

To learn more or to register, visit mssutraining.com/mssu-pitch-palooza.