Schools that want their students to try their hand at running a startup club now have a clear window, and it closes soon. CBSE has thrown its weight behind NEC Junior 2026, the National Entrepreneurship Challenge Junior run by the Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell) of IIT Bombay. Schools must register by 15th July 2026 to take part.
Think of it as a six-month push to plant Entrepreneurship Clubs inside schools. The program runs from July 2026 to December 2026 and is open to any school teaching Classes 6 to 12. There is no fee. Everything happens online, and the grand finale moves offline to the IIT Bombay campus in the second week of December.
The idea is to get students thinking like founders early: coming up with ideas, testing them, and learning by doing. Teachers aren’t left out either. A dedicated training program prepares faculty coordinators to guide their clubs.
What NEC Junior offers
- A framework to set up and run an Entrepreneurship Club
- Innovation and ideation activities
- A teacher training program for faculty coordinators
- The Eureka! Junior Challenge for students
- Workshops, learning sessions, and bootcamps
- Certification from E-Cell, IIT Bombay for eligible schools, teachers, and students
Key details at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Registration deadline | 15th July 2026 |
| Duration | July 2026 to December 2026 |
| Eligibility | Schools with students from Classes 6 to 12 |
| Participation fee | Free of cost |
| Mode | Online, grand finale offline at IIT Bombay (second week of December) |
How schools register
Registration is done at https://www.ecell.in/necjunior/register. Each school needs one or two representatives, and these must be teachers of the school. The teacher reps fill in the registration form with the required details.
Once the deadline passes, E-Cell will hold a teacher orientation session. This walks coordinators through how the NEC Junior program works and the guidelines they need to follow.
CBSE has asked heads of schools to spread the word among students and staff and to push participation. For more, schools can check the brochure at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oMa-JstUENSpjXbGmkLArubd0EUD3fkM/view or the program website at https://www.ecell.in/necjunior. Queries can go to necjunior@ecell.in. Mark the calendar: registrations shut on 15th July.