Harvard Crimson Business Competition

Officially hosted by The Harvard Crimson, a 150-year-old newspaper affiliated with Harvard University. An opportunity to compete at Harvard awaits participants in the global championship round.

The Harvard Crimson Business Competition Introduction

The Harvard Crimson, the official campus newspaper of Harvard University, organizes the Harvard Crimson Business Competition. The competition focuses on Global Warming, Education Equality, Imbalanced Economy,  Sustainable Transportation, Food Security and Information Security. Students will role-play as a company and must choose one of the six challenges to focus on. Each company will research market pain points or gaps to find business opportunities and design a profitable and achievable business plan.

The Harvard Crimson Business Competition is designed to encourage students to think, innovate, and develop future business leaders.

Development Path

Preliminary Round

• How to submit: Online Submission, participate either in Individual/ Team (3-8 people)

• Requirements: Submit a business plan in PDF format that focuses on a challenge to work on (see below for more details)

• Payment: Individual: $53/per person, Team: $37/per person

Global Championship Round

• Location: The Harvard Crimson Building, Harvard University, Boston, USA

• Eligibility: Outstanding teams in the Preliminary Round. Cannot change the team members

Business Plan Content Structure

In the Global Preliminary Round, the proposal is 14-18 pages. See the following example of content structure.

Global Championship Rounds

Approximately 50 global qualifying teams will be invited to participate in The Harvard Crimson Business Competition Championship Round. Qualifying teams will be able to join the Harvard Global Championship Round held in late June for in-depth communication with Harvard business alumni, The Harvard Crimson Business Board, and the final presentation.

Session 1: Forum

Harvard Business School alumni often have experience in diverse industries and sectors. The keynote speakers may share real-world business cases that highlight challenges they faced, strategies they employed, and lessons learnt.

Session 2: Mentorship

Every team participating in the event will benefit from on-site guidance experienced business mentors provide.

Session 3: Presentation

In addition to good business plan, good presentation is also critical. HCBC will organise presentation workshops to guide the participating teams and ensure their excellent final presentation.

Session 4: Networking

Network globally, share ideas with elites, foster collaboration, and enrich your business perspective and strategies.

Session 4: Roadshow

Showcase your ultimate business concept to a panel of discerning Harvard Crimson judges!

Session 4: Uni-Application

Learn about the application process and campus life at Harvard and other Ivy League schools.

Download Program PDF