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.EY/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.
This opportunity is generously supported by global accounting and consulting firm EY.
2026 EY/KU Case Competition key dates
The registration period for the fall 2026 competition ended September 16.
- Preliminary-round video submission deadline: 11:59 p.m. September 22
- Finalists announced: September 30
- Finalist competition prompt release: 9 a.m. October 7 via email
- Finalist kickoff and networking event: 5–7 p.m. October 8, Capitol Federal Hall (required check-in at 4:45 p.m.)
- Breakout rooms available 5-10 p.m. (mentoring sessions 7-10 p.m.)
- Finalist competition: From 11 a.m.–5 p.m. October 9, Dicus Family Auditorium, 1111 Capitol Federal Hall
Who can participate?
Undergraduate KU students of all disciplines
(Note: Teams that place in the top five become ineligible for future fall competitions.)
Why participate?
- Showcase your strategic thinking and presentation skills.
- Network with industry professionals during a dedicated event.
- KU Business students will earn 20 HATCH points for participation in the competition, 10 NEST points for attending a kickoff meeting, and 10 HATCH points for the required workshop.
Cash prizes
- 1st place: $1,200
- 2nd place: $1,000
- 3rd place: $800
- 4th place: $600
- 5th place: $400
- Five additional awards, each $400, in categories of Most Innovative, Best Presentation, Judge's Choice
Competition rules and expectations
Case release (for finalists)
9 a.m. October 7 via email
Presentation format and rules
Preliminary round: 8-minute presentation + 4-minute Q&A
Final round: 8-minute presentation (no Q&A)
- Once presentations begin, teams must stop all case-related discussion and research.
- Teams will wait in a designated area and enter the presentation room only when called.
- A moderator will signal when 3 minutes and then 30 seconds remain during presentations.
- Presentations are cut off at the 8-minute mark; no content is accepted afterward.
- During Q&A, the moderator will signal at 30 seconds and stop questions at time limit.
- Appendixes may be used only during the Q&A.
- No communication with the audience is allowed; violations result in disqualification.
- No changes after submission deadline.
- Late submissions incur penalties.
- Business professional attire required.
- All team members must be present at the start of the presentation.
Slide requirements
- Format: All teams must submit a PowerPoint presentation (.ppt/.pptx only). Other formats (e.g., Prezi, Keynote) are not accepted.
- File name format: [Team Number] for anonymity
- Submission: Submit files to Dropbox folder (link provided via email)
Judging process
- Judges are professionals from the local business community, representing diverse industries.
- Judges are selected by competition organizers and are not affiliated with any participating teams.
- Panels consist of at least three impartial judges.
- Judges receive equal information regarding evaluation criteria and case facts and have no prior knowledge of teams.
- Judging is based solely on the scoring rubric.
- All decisions by judges are final and binding.
Eligibility
- Teams of 4 undergraduate students only — no graduate/professional students
- No individual may participate on more than one team.
- All team members must participate throughout the entire competition and must attend finals in person.
AI usage
- AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) may be used with proper citation,
- The use of AI to generate the final solution is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification.
Misconduct and disqualification grounds
- No unauthorized collaboration or use of past solutions
- No outside assistance from faculty, spectators, or others
- Disruptive behavior, data manipulation, or misrepresentation will result in disqualification.
- Teams must adhere to all rules; violations may result in bans from future competitions.
- Attire for the networking event and presentations is business professional.
- Decisions by the Case Competition Committee are final.
Acknowledgment
Participation implies agreement to all rules and policies.
Case release (for finalists)
9 a.m. October 7 via email
Presentation format and rules
Preliminary round: 8-minute presentation + 4-minute Q&A
Final round: 8-minute presentation (no Q&A)
- Once presentations begin, teams must stop all case-related discussion and research.
- Teams will wait in a designated area and enter the presentation room only when called.
- A moderator will signal when 3 minutes and then 30 seconds remain during presentations.
- Presentations are cut off at the 8-minute mark; no content is accepted afterward.
- During Q&A, the moderator will signal at 30 seconds and stop questions at time limit.
- Appendixes may be used only during the Q&A.
- No communication with the audience is allowed; violations result in disqualification.
- No changes after submission deadline.
- Late submissions incur penalties.
- Business professional attire required.
- All team members must be present at the start of the presentation.
Slide requirements
- Format: All teams must submit a PowerPoint presentation (.ppt/.pptx only). Other formats (e.g., Prezi, Keynote) are not accepted.
- File name format: [Team Number] for anonymity
- Submission: Submit files to Dropbox folder (link provided via email)
Judging process
- Judges are professionals from the local business community, representing diverse industries.
- Judges are selected by competition organizers and are not affiliated with any participating teams.
- Panels consist of at least three impartial judges.
- Judges receive equal information regarding evaluation criteria and case facts and have no prior knowledge of teams.
- Judging is based solely on the scoring rubric.
- All decisions by judges are final and binding.
Eligibility
- Teams of 4 undergraduate students only — no graduate/professional students
- No individual may participate on more than one team.
- All team members must participate throughout the entire competition and must attend finals in person.
AI usage
- AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) may be used with proper citation,
- The use of AI to generate the final solution is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification.
Misconduct and disqualification grounds
- No unauthorized collaboration or use of past solutions
- No outside assistance from faculty, spectators, or others
- Disruptive behavior, data manipulation, or misrepresentation will result in disqualification.
- Teams must adhere to all rules; violations may result in bans from future competitions.
- Attire for the networking event and presentations is business professional.
- Decisions by the Case Competition Committee are final.
Acknowledgment
Participation implies agreement to all rules and policies.
EY/KU National Business Challenge
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 undergraduate and graduate students from Business, Engineering and other STEM fields at KU compete in a 10-week challenge throughout the fall semester. Over the 10 weeks, participating students will:
- Receive a specific prompt with a current environmental, technical or social challenge;
- Participate in a series of workshops to learn and apply the design thinking process;
- Research, design, prototype and test a real-life business solution;
- Receive mentorship and coaching from past competitors and professionals;
- Present their ideas to a panel of expert judges from industry, venture capital and academia at the end of the 10-week period. The top five teams receive prize money.
Who can participate?
Undergraduate and graduate KU students from:
- KU School of Business
- KU School of Engineering
- Industrial Design majors
- All STEM majors
Applications for the 2026 Kirkendall Awards Ideation Challenge were due April 10.
Program format
Participating students are expected to attend all sessions over the 10 weeks. Fall 2026 sessions are scheduled for Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Capitol Federal Hall. Exact times will be shared with selected students.
Both the preliminary and final rounds will be Friday, Oct. 30, in the Dicus Family Auditorium, 1111 Capitol Federal Hall.
- The final five presentations will begin at approximately 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and KU faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend.
Team structure
Each team must include:
- At least one Business major
- At least one Engineering/STEM major
AIO Case Competition
Teams of one to four students will use Figure Sense principles to generate insights from real-world data and have the opportunity to further develop their analytical and presentation skills while competing for cash prizes.
KU Business undergraduate students will earn up to 30 professionalism points for participating:
- 10 HATCH points for attending the How to Win a Case Competition Workshop
- Up to an additional 20 HATCH points for successful completion of the first two rounds of the competition
Registration: Team registration deadline is Sept. 11.
First round: Short proposal for the analysis is due Sept. 27.
Second round: Written report and code on analysis is due Oct. 16.
- Teams chosen will present their analysis in person for a third round.
Finalists announced: Oct 30 | In-person presentations: Nov. 13
Who can participate?
KU undergraduate students with a major and/or minor in one of the following:
- Business Analytics
- Information Systems
- Supply Chain Management
Cash prizes
- 1st place: $2,400
- 2nd place: $1,200
- 3rd place: $800
- Other finalists: $300 each
Other KU Business competitions
KU/King's Hawaiian Sales Competition
BLP/SELF Case Competition
