How long is the standard initial pitch allowed to last on the UK show Dragon's Den?

On the UK show Dragon's Den, the standard initial entrepreneur pitch is allowed to last three minutes.

The short opening pitch is designed to make the entrepreneur explain the business clearly and quickly. It normally covers the product or service, the company’s trading position, the amount of money requested and the equity offered in return. Once the opening presentation ends, the Dragons question the entrepreneur in much greater detail.

The three-minute limit creates a recognisable structure for the programme. It also tests whether a founder can communicate a business proposition without relying on a long presentation. Questions about sales, margins, valuation, customers and competition can then reveal whether the claims in the pitch are supported by evidence.

The initial pitch should not be confused with the total time an entrepreneur spends in the Den. Filmed negotiations can continue for much longer after the opening presentation, and the finished broadcast edits that conversation for television.