KU Business Case Competitions
Put your knowledge into action.
Develop your problem-solving, teamwork and communication skills while tackling business challenges. KU Business case competitions provide opportunities for teams of students to analyze a challenge and then develop and present solutions for industry professionals or judges.KU National Multidisciplinary Case Competition
AIO Case Competition
The AIO Case Competition challenges students to apply Figure Sense principles to generate insights from real-world data, sharpen their analytical and presentation skills, and compete for cash prizes.
Who can participate?
The spring 2026 competition, which kicks off February 10, will be divided into two levels: undergraduate and graduate. Teams can include one to four members, all enrolled at the same academic level (undergraduate or graduate).
Undergraduate students must have a major and/or minor in one of the following:
- Business Analytics
- Information Systems
- Supply Chain Management
Graduate students must be enrolled in the Master of Science in Business Analytics program.
Timeline
- Team registration deadline: 11:59 p.m. Friday, February 6
- Case release (with problem description and real-world data): Tuesday, February 10
- Team work session: 2–3 p.m. February 13 | KPMG Classroom, 2001 Capitol Federal Hall
- Meet in person to ask questions and receive feedback from faculty advisors.
- Management Consultants Workshop (virtual, required): 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Saturday, February 21
- Undergraduates completing this workshop for the first time earn 10 HATCH professional development points.
- First deliverable (short proposal based on analysis) due date: 11:59 p.m. Sunday, February 22
- Second deliverable (written report and code) due date: 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 13
- Undergraduates can earn up to 20 additional professional development points.
- Finalists announced: Friday, April 3
- Final presentations: 10 a.m. Friday, April 17 | Tim Barton Colloquium, 1010 Capitol Federal Hall
- Winners will be announced during the reception following presentations.
Cash prizes
Undergraduate students:
- 1st place: $2,000
- 2nd place: $1,000
- 3rd place: $500
Graduate students:
- 1st place: $1,000
- 2nd place: $500
KU Case Competition
Each fall the KU School of Business, in partnership with the KU Case Competition Club, hosts a case competition with cash prizes open to KU undergraduate students of all disciplines. The top five teams qualify for either national or international competitions.
Information about the fall 2026 competition will be shared when finalized.
Who can participate?
Undergraduate KU students of all disciplines
Why participate?
- Showcase your strategic thinking and presentation skills.
- Network with industry professionals during a dedicated event.
- The top three teams get to choose a national competition to participate in, sponsored by the School of Business. Fourth and fifth-place teams will compete in a KU-hosted international competition with other leading business schools in the spring.
- KU Business students will earn 20 HATCH points for participation in the competition, 10 NEST points for attending an info session, and 10 HATCH points for the required workshop.
Cash prizes
- 1st place: $1,000 and opportunity to participate in a national competition
- 2nd place: $750 and opportunity to participate in a national competition
- 3rd place: $500 and opportunity to participate in a national competition
- 4th place: $250 and qualification to compete in KU-hosted international competition in the spring
- 5th place: $250 and qualification to compete in KU-hosted international competition in the spring
- Most innovative: $250
- Best presentation: $250
Kirkendall Awards Ideation Challenge
Established in 2024, the Kirkendall Fund honors the late KU Business and KU Engineering alumni Robert “Scott” Kirkendall, Jonathan “David” Kirkendall, and their parents, Robert and Gail Kirkendall. This permanent endowment fund supports student-driven solutions to major environmental, technical and social challenges.
Kirkendall Awards
Interdisciplinary teams of students from business, engineering and other STEM fields compete in a 10-week challenge throughout the fall semester. Guided by faculty and peer mentors, participants attend design-thinking workshops and develop prototypes over the course of the competition.
At the end of the 10 weeks, teams present to a panel of judges from industry, venture capital and academia. The top three teams receive prize money.
Who can participate?
Undergraduate KU students from:
- KU School of Business
- KU School of Engineering,
- Industrial Design majors
- All STEM majors
Cash prizes
- 1st place: $10,000
- 2nd place: $6,000
- 3rd place: $2,000
Award amounts may vary by year.
How to compete
Applications for fall 2026 will open in spring 2026.
Other KU Business competitions
KU/King's Hawaiian Sales Competition
BLP/SELF Case Competition
