Deadline: November 5, 2015 | Apply here
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Registration fee: $200 per team
Date: January 22, 2016
Final Round location: Davos, Switzerland
The Business for a Better World Case Competition 2016, an international contest now into its third year, is a partnership between Corporate Knights, the company for clean capitalism, and the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. With a prize pool in 2015/2016 of $10,000, the final round of this MBA competition will see three top teams present their case analysis in front of a live panel of high-profile judges in Davos, Switzerland, coinciding with the World Economic Forum in January.
This year, student teams will be asked to decarbonize the holdings of the Norway Government Pension Fund Global, the largest sovereign fund in the world with a value of $940 billion (USD). Managed by Norges Bank Investment Management, the fund is commonly referred to as The Oil Fund because it has been built from the surpluses of Norway’s petroleum income. Teams will have four key objectives:
- Minimize the carbon footprint of the fund;
- Reduce risks that might strand assets;
- Maximize returns and engagement impact with companies;
- Position the fund to thrive in and drive a world that does not exceed an average 2-degree temperature increase.
Students will have access to a tool, designed by Corporate Knights, that will help them assess the carbon profile of the fund’s holdings and allow them to watch this profile change as the holdings mix is altered.
Phase 1 Details: Click here to download a PDF providing detailed guidance for phase 1.
Teams must consist of a minimum of three students and maximum of four students. The majority of members of any team must be an MBA student, either part-time or full-time, and all must represent the same business school. This contest is open to all business schools worldwide, but all submissions must be in English.
Judging: An internal committee assembled and led by the research staff at Corporate Knights will oversee Round 1 judging. Five teams will be selected to proceed to Round 2. The same internal committee, in consultation with outside experts (including at least one representative from Schulich Business School faculty), will review detailed business plans of the five teams that advanced to Round 2. The names of team members and the schools represented will be removed from the submissions to eliminate potential conflict of interest among judges.
Two teams will be selected to advance to the Final Round to take place on January 22 in Davos, Switzerland, in front of a panel of high-profile judges (to be announced this fall). These teams will be joined by the first-place team from this year’s Yale Responsible Investing Conference Low-Carbon Case Competition. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams will be announced immediately after all teams have presented.
Prizes: The three teams that advance to the final round will be granted two nights of accommodations in/near Davos, Switzerland. Students/schools that advance to this round are expected to cover their own flight costs and other expenses.
Prize for Winning Team: $6,000 (Cdn.) + crystal trophy.
Prize for 2nd Place Team: $3,000 (Cdn.)
Prize for 3rd Place team: $1,000 (Cdn.)
Format: Any submissions that do not follow the below formats will be penalized but still considered.
First Round: Submissions must arrive as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation of no more than 10 slides. The presentation can include a combination of supporting text, charts and images, but this must be included as part of 10-slide limit. (E-mail to mbacontest@corporateknights.com by 5 p.m. EST on November 6).
Second Round: The five teams that make it to this round must submit a detailed written business plan that is no more than 25 pages in length, using minimum 12-point font and double-line spacing. All charts, tables, and graphs must be included in this length. (E-mail to mbacontest@corporateknights.com by 5 p.m. EST on December 4)
Final Round: The two teams that make it to the final live round in Davos, Switzerland, will be required to do a presentation of up to 10-minutes in length followed by up to 5 minutes of Q&A with judges. Teams can use a PowerPoint slide show to assist with presentations.
Note to Participants: Individual team members anticipating a trip to Davos should plan in advance to have a valid passport and, if necessary, an appropriate travel visa.
Registration and Payment: Team registration is $200. If you have any difficulty with this process, please e-mail to paypal@corporateknights.com
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