The Trump administration is bringing an Apprentice-style pitch competition to the US Small Business Administration, complete with a $1 million prize pool, as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The event, which recalls President Donald Trump's stint as host of the reality show The Apprentice while also echoing Shark Tank's format, will see five entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges in Washington, D.C. on 18 September.

Rapper Nicki Minaj will sit on the judging panel alongside entrepreneur and private equity manager Grant Cardone and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, with actor Dean Cain hosting. The five finalists, chosen from a nationwide call for submissions, are Compotech, Winton Machine, Plas-Tech Tooling, Red River and VetPowered, with prizes ranging from $400,000 for first place down to $75,000 for fifth. Minaj has previously expressed strong support for the Trump administration, having called herself his "number one fan" after receiving an expedited citizenship "gold card" earlier this year.