First Round

• All participating teams will be assigned a case in June, and will have to submit the case analysis report within 10 days.
• Report format and page limit:
  • The case analysis report should be within 10 pages (excluding appendices) plus a 2-page Executive Summary based on the case;
  • The appendices should be within 10 pages and used for supporting material only (rather than compulsory material to be read and marked).

Final Round

• Four finalist teams, plus one team from each of the hosting institution(s), will be chosen to enter the Final Round of the Competition in November.
• The finalist teams will have six hours to research, analyse, develop a set of action plans, and make recommendations to a business case.
• Each finalist team will have 20 minutes to present, followed by a 15 minute Q&A session to answer questions from the panel of judges.

• Gold Prize: USD1500 per team and Trophy

• Silver Prize: USD900 per team and Trophy
• Bronze Prize: USD700 per team and Trophy
• Best Presenter: USD200 and Trophy

• All business students from universities around the globe, either IIBD member and non-member universities, are eligible.
• Each university can nominate ONE team. Each team should consist of a maximum of 4 students, with no more than one graduate student per team.
• Students of the same team must come from the same institution at the time of application.
• Each team should be supervised by a Faculty Supervisor.
• Past awardees of either team awards or individual awards are not allowed to participate in the Competition again as the role of student team member.
• Each hosting institution will be eligible to have one team in the Final Round of the Competition.

1. Identification of Problems
   Does the team correctly identify and analyse the main problems and subsidiary issues?

2. Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis
   Does the team present insightful and thorough analysis of the company and the industry, showing strong understanding of the business environment? Does the team conduct all the necessary quantitative and qualitative analysis?

3. Quality of Recommendations and Alternatives
   Does the team consider more than one alternative solution? Does the team provide good evidence and considerations in the selection of the recommendations? Are the recommendations practical and realistic? Are the recommendations logically tied-in to analysis such that there is a clear linkage between the analysis and the recommendations? Does the team demonstrate excellent out-of-the-box thinking? Are the recommendations and solutions effective and justified? Are the recommendations driven by business strategy?

4. Implementation and Plan of Actions
   Is there a comprehensive implementation plan including practical timeframe, measurable milestones and key players involved? Are cost, control issues and potential problems fully recognised and addressed, and with contingency plan?

5. Report Format and Writing Style (Applicable to First Round Competition only)
   Is the report well-structured, concise and sharp, with appropriate formatting?

6. Handling of Questions (Applicable to Final Round Competition only)
   How well does the team defend their position and clearly address the subject matter? Does the group maintain a good balance between team members when handling questions?

7. Presentation Form and Style (Applicable to Final Round Competition only)
   Is the team’s presentation clear, well-structured, creative and professional?