The Acton Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. The largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.

Solid Foundation Learning has been using the Acton model for the past four years to hold community-based Children's Business Fairs in the downtown metro area.

We will accept up to 20 businesses.

Start with our resources page. Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills.

Application must be submitted online. Please submit one application for each business. Children working as a group should submit one application that includes each child’s information. No more than 3 participants per business.

The application asks kids to think through some simple, but important elements of their business:

Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out, though we will let later entries know if another applicant has a similar idea so the later entrant can decide what to do.

Is there a charge to participate in the fair?
There is a $25 charge for each participating business and $10 for each additional child.  (For example:  A business with 1 child entrepreneur - $25; a business with 3 child entrepreneurs - $45) This helps to pay for the venue, the advertising, and the food and thank you gifts for the kid entrepreneurs.

Solid Foundation Learning, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization promoting passion-driven learning and seeking kid entrepreneurs to encourage and inspire.

The fair will be an outdoor event held at the GB Salvation Army Kroc Center. Solid Foundation Learning will have a large space with tables to accommodate up to 20 children during each shift.  Each business will be given a booth with a table, tablecloth, and 1-2 chairs. 

We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.

This event is designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service. If a parent is found selling or promoting a child’s product or service, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.

Parents of younger children may sit in the booth, but the children should be responsible for set up, customer interaction, and sales.

Parents may help their child fill out the application, but we expect the children to do as much as possible by themselves.

Jeff and Laura Sandefer and a few other families wanted to spark a sense of wonder and entrepreneurship in their children so they created the first Acton Children’s Business Fair in Austin, Texas, in 2007. That year, there were seven entrepreneurs and around 25 attendees. Now, there are over 115 entrepreneurs and 1,500 attendees at the Acton Children's Business Fair in Austin.