Pitch for the Skilled Trades


Pitch for the Trades Logo circle with plug

The Ratcliffe Pitch for the Skilled Trades Competition 2025

This fall, college teams from across the nation will come together at NACCE’s 2025 Annual Conference to compete for a share of – $150,000. Do you have an idea? Do you have an innovative project idea designed to foster job creation while infusing entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial mindset into apprenticeships and trades?

Learn more about how to apply and make plans to attend the conference where you can compete for your share at the NACCE Annual Conference in Coronado, CA, Sunday, October 5 to Wednesday, October 8, 2025.

Pitch for the Skilled Trades is a competition opportunity for faculty, staff, administrators, foundation leaders, and presidents from NACCE member colleges to pitch to a panel of judges and potentially win funding! Competitive projects are those that demonstrate “greatest” economic impact on the local level with respect to jobs created, employment obtained, income earned, and businesses launched. A benefit of your project may be the creation of one or more businesses, but it is not a requirement in order to participate in Pitch for the Skilled Trades Competition. One final component that is part of the assessment is the return on investment. What is the projected impact if awarded funding for your project in expanding it through additional funding sources, new partnerships both on campus and from the community, and the overall impact on students both in the proposed program on possibly other programs.

2024 Pitch for the Skilled Trades Winners

The primary goal of Pitch for the Skilled Trades is to

 expand opportunities in the skilled trades and apprenticeships through

innovative and novel educational programs

and to provide a path to employment or new venture creation.

All NACCE members are encouraged to submit their projects for competition. At least one “pitcher” on the project must be registered to attend NACCE’s Annual Conference and be available to participate in-person in the final round.

Competitive projects are those that demonstrate “greatest” economic impact on the local level with respect to jobs created, employment obtained, income earned, businesses launched and return on investment. Special emphasis will be on programs that focus on innovative approaches, in areas such as populations served, alternative strategies and the utilization of new technologies. In addition, we strongly encourage partnerships across campus and with stakeholders in your community.

More than one entry may be submitted by your college, but only one submission will be selected to compete in the final round. We encourage you to bring your best ideas forward! For more information, email tumey@nacce.com. 

Skilled trades are broadly defined.  A college can use pitch money to experiment with an idea that either helps prepare people for the workforce in high demand jobs in the skilled trades, assists in filling vacancies in high demand positions, or prepares them to launch a business in one of those trades. From building tiny houses to entre”manure”ship; to creating a drone program for agriculture, increasing oyster farming, EV electric vehicles, robotic and hydraulics, personal services, allied health, etc., there is a wide range of opportunity.

2025 Pitch for the Skilled Trades Timeline

  • Thursday, March 13th | Ask-Me-Anything Webinar
  • Wednesday, August 13th | Application Window Closes
  • Tuesday, August 19th | Semi-finalists Announced
  • Tuesday, September 2rd and 3rd  | Virtual Semi- Finals Competition
  • Friday, September 5th | Finalists Announced
  • Sunday, October 5th to Wednesday, October 8th | 2025 NACCE’s 23rd Anniversary Celebration & Annual Conference
  • Monday, October 6th| Pitch for the Trades Competition

What is considered a skilled trade?

The definition of skilled trade is fairly broad and includes but is not limited to: industrial millwright, marine technology, welding, HVAC, carpentry & construction, aerospace & aviation, collision repair, automotive technology, diesel technology, truck driving, and advanced manufacturing. Strongest consideration will be given to skilled trades in high-demand areas.

From building tiny houses to entre”manure”ship; to creating a drone program for agriculture and increasing oyster farming, EV electric vehicles, robotic and hydraulics, personal services, allied health, etc.

What is the maximum award per college?
Amounts are varied.
Who may pitch?
Faculty, staff, and administrators from NACCE member colleges. At least one "pitcher" on the project must be registered for the NACCE Annual Conference in Coronado, CA – Sunday, October 5 to Wednesday, October 8, 2025, and be available to participate in-person in the final round of pitch competition.
What level of commitment does a project need from its institution?
The project must have the support of your community college president and other members of the leadership team.

Who else at my college should know about this project?

In addition to your typical procedures, be sure to confirm that your college’s grants management, foundation departments, and/or legal office are aware of the project. Grant checks should be managed through the college foundation.

 Logistics & Monetary Winnings - What should I expect if I win regarding the receipt of funds?

The Ratcliffe Foundation and NACCE wish to disperse the winning funds within 60 days of the final competition results that is held at the Annual National Conference. Please notify the business office, foundation department, and/or legal department of the possibility of receiving an MOU from NACCE and the requested quick turnaround; for the funds to be dispersed in a timely manner.

May an institution submit more than one application for a demonstration project that promotes the skilled trades? 
Yes, multiple applications will be considered, however, only one team per college may be selected for a cash award. NACCE looks forward to hearing about the vast and diverse work you are proposing at your institutions.

What are the requirements of the pitch? 

In the semi-final round, you have three-minutes to tell us your story; make it compelling and unique to your situation. Pitches in the final round are also held for three-minutes. Pitches are to be conducted “in-person” by a single pitcher or as a team effort. We are looking forward to seeing that your proposal is fiscally sound. We are not looking for a fully vetted business plan at this point. The scoring rubric that is being used for this competition is posted on this website Pitch for the Skilled Trades for your review.

Can videos be used in the three-minute presentations?
Yes, but it cannot be for the full three-minutes to encompass the full presentation. And please be aware of there could be unexpected technical difficulties. The difficulties will count as part of the three-minutes. We strongly suggest to have an alternative plan if the short video is not available for use in the presentation.
Does the project need to have a fully vetted business plan behind it at this point? We are looking to see that your proposal is fiscally sound.
Can the funding support salaries? The funding cannot support faculty or staff salaries. However, it can be allocated toward professional development and specialized training.  Identify and explain these items in the proposal.
What are the criteria being used in the initial, semi-final and final rounds?
The scoring rubric that is being used for this competition is posted on the Pitch for the Skilled Trades page for your review.
  • Competitive projects are those that demonstrate the “greatest” economic impact on the local level with respect to jobs created, employment obtained, income earned, businesses launched, and return on investment.
  • The pitch will be conducted virtually as a team for the semi-final round.
  • The pitch will be conducted in person either as a single presenter or as a team if selected for the final round at the NACCE Annual Conference.
  • The proposal is fiscally sound. Along with, how will the project be fiscally sustainable in the future? Make it compelling and unique to your situation consider matching from business stakeholders in the community or other in kind donations of equipment.
What is the economic impact on the local level?

Consider key indicators such as Employment, Economic Vitality, Job Creation, Return on Investment, Earning Potential, Entrepreneurial Activity

Does my project need to launch student businesses to participate?

A benefit of your project may be the creation of one or more businesses, but it is not necessary to participate in Pitch for the Skilled Trades. Our primary goal is to solve the labor shortage in the skilled trades by expanding opportunities for training and apprenticeships at the local level.

What to expect if my team wins
Each winning team will be required to submit and engage in:
  • Project updates by interviews and for the journal
  • Financial data
  • Impact photos and stories
  • A classroom or community lesson(s) to be shared in a case study format
  • Optional participation in the “mentoring by the numbers” model that helps winning teams stay on track with budgeting and goals.
  • Quarterly meetings

Focus of the Pitch Presentation

  • Here is an overview of the questions to answer in the three-minute presentation:

      1. Pitch Project Title
      2. Contact information for the application & institution.
      3. Pitch Project Description (short overview)
      4. What problem or challenge is this project working to solve for the institution and/or community?
      5. How might your project provide a solution to the problem or challenge?
      6. What will it take for you to successfully implement this project?
      7. How much total funding is required to implement your project?
      8. How much funding are you requesting with your pitch?
      9. What other sources of funding have you identified?
      10. What is the total budget? Broken down to high-level components (Supplies, equipment, and required student materials/uniforms/tools, etc.)
      11. If awarded funding, how is this amount reflected in that budget?
      12. Please note that positions (faculty and staff salaries) are not funded with awarded amounts.
      13. Though, professional development and specialized training required for implementing the proposed project is supported by the amount awarded. Explain the funding purpose in the proposed budget.
      14. What is the anticipated timeline implementation?
      15. How will the project be sustained financially into the future?
      16. How many students will be served by academic year, semester, etc.?
      17. If you can project, how many jobs will be created?
      18. If you can project, will any businesses be launched and if so, how many?
      19. What skills and/or certifications will students gain to be job ready?
      20. What are your key indicators and how will they be measured?
      21. Please note the use of Acronyms (PFST, MDI, NASA, etc.) in your presentations. You know what they mean and how it relates to your project. But the audience may not be knowledgeable. Please say the complete words (Pitch for the Skilled Trades, Multiple Document Interface or Merchants Distributors, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, etc.).
Pitch Deck        Judging Rubric

In setting up your presentation, consider this is a national audience that is not familiar with your local area by geography, average population and income, employment level, area of growth or decline, etc.

Define the Problem

Clearly identifies the specific Skilled Trades challenge the project is working to solve for the college and community. What deficit inspired this pitch proposal?

  • Labor market demands for a program are not being met because the institution does not offer a particular program, or the current program is in need of expansion.
  • There is a target audience that is underserved.
  • Advancements in technology have led to the need for new equipment or training.

What is the Solution?

Provides a realistic and unique solution to solving this challenge.

  • Will new equipment be purchased?
  • Will instructor training be required?
  • Has space been allocated or identified for this new proposal?
  • Will there be a pathway to employment or new venture creation?
  • Are there any limitations that have been identified? If so, have they been discussed and resolved?

What is the total budget, sources of funding, and amount requested?

Describes how the funds will be used, outlines the time frame for expenditures and details a plan for sustainability.

  • Provide a high level of budget for review.

 

Total Amount

Amount requested from the Pitch Competition

Other Funding Dollar Amt

Who is providing the funding?

Equipment

16,000

10,000

 6,000

College Foundation

Supplies

3,000

 

 3,000

Community Partner

Space Renovations

0

 

 0

 

Purchase of Initial Starter Kit that Students will be required to purchase as part of the

program

1,500 x 10 = 15,000

15,000

 

 

Start New Project

 

 

 

 

Total being Requested:

 34,000

 25,000

 9,000

 
  • Have Any partnerships been created to match this budget or supplement the budget?
  • Break out any additional support that is being provided to the project.
    • Foundation support, Community support, In Kind support, etc.

Example: The College is paying $15,000 for space renovations.

What is the Economic Impact

Details of the economic impact the project will have on the local community, such as students touched, jobs created, employment obtained, income earned, and businesses launched.

  • Are there jobs available in your community that support this project? Or would this project create new jobs?
  • How many students will receive this training/use the equipment/utilize this training space?
  • Would the outcome of this project raise funds? If so, how will those funds be used?
  • Would the project launch a new business? Would the project result in entrepreneurship for students?

The 3 Minute Presentation for the Semi-Final and Finals

Must be complete, concise, organized, compelling and engaging presentation/story. Create a Contingency Plan if the technology does not work.

Ideas and suggestions?

Yes, a skit can be performed, or it can be a formal presentation.

The judges have five minutes after the presentation to ask questions.

The three-minute presentation will be timed and asked to stop if you run over.

A pitch coach will be available for practice before the semi-final presentation via zoom. And, on site at the National Conference if selected as a finalist.