2011-12 is a record year for the Universities Business Challenge in the UK with more university faculties and students taking part to experience the learning, employability skills development, fun, excitment and networking that the competition provides - than in all previous years.
The fact that the UBC is growing year-on-year is testament to the value that universities, students and corporate sponsors put on the event in helping to enhance employability skills and giove them a head start in their career.
What is the Universities Business Challenge (UBC)?
The UBC offers undergraduates within universities or colleges a unique opportunity to improve their knowledge of the business world, put theory into practice and develop their team-working, leadership and employability skills. The Challenge gives participants the chance to work as a board of directors in a series of realistic, simulated companies, making all the critical business decisions that affect the company's performance. Our simulations are varied and challenging - and range from manufacturing to service businesses to ensure a rounded experience. They increasingly attract participants across all faculties from leading universities.
A true learning experience...
The Challenge is a true learning experience for all those who enter. It will help students to improve their decision-making skills, develop their team-working abilities and increase their knowledge in key business areas such as marketing, finance and production. The Challenge is not just for Business Studies students. It covers all faculties. Students from Information Technology, Engineering, Economics, Accounting, Law and a wide range of Arts and Science faculties have gained an invaluable understanding of the business world.
Cash prizes....
Besides the invaluable experience and prestige of progressing through the competition, there are also cash prizes for the first three teams: 1st £1000, 2nd £500 and 3rd £250.
What participants say about the UBC:
"IT IS AN EXCITING AND TRULY LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE" - Bournemouth University winners 2010-11
Participating lecturers and students are full of praise for the unique experience that the UBC offers.
How does the Challenge work?
The Challenge is divided into three phases: Round One - decisions are input via the internet, Round Two - live semi-finals and Round Three - live Grand Final - which makes the UBC a unique experience. Participants in teams of up to five people are challenged with the task of improving the performance of a business. The UBC is a realistic business simulation that provides students with the opportunity to act as a team of management consultants who have taken responsibility for improving the performance of a business. They need to take into account not only the financial performance of the company, but also its responsibilities to its various stakeholders, including its suppliers, its customers and its employees. Undergraduate teams from universities and colleges across the UK compete to achieve maximum profit, acquire new business and enhance customer satisfaction.
UBC starts October...
The UBC commences in late October with Round 1 when teams will be given details of the business, its markets and its current financial position. Teams will work as consultants, making the decisions that are vital to the company's success. These decisions are submitted to the UBC team on a weekly basis via the UBC website. Each decision period will represent six months in the life of the company. Along with the results of each trading period's decisions, teams will receive a scenario outlining events and issues outside and inside the company which are likely to impact on its business.
Teams see how they are measuring up....
At the end of each financial year, the balance sheets for all companies will be available to all teams so that they can see how they are measuring up to the competition. For those who want to, there is also the chance to purchase market information. The Challenge will consist of a first round of at least six trading periods for all participants during the first term of the academic year, whichs is run on-line.
Round 2 regional one-day Semi-Finals and the Round 3 Grand Final at the lead sponsors' HQ...
This will be followed by the Round 2 regional one-day live Semi-Finals at locations which are sponsored by leading graduate employers with the top teams going through to the Round 3 one-day live Grand Final sponsored and hosted by IBM UK.
2011 UBC UK Timetable:
The UBC United Kingdom is run over three rounds. Round 1 is run on-line via the internet with teams uploading their decisions each week for six weeks. The leading teams from this round go through to Round 2 – the Semi-Finals hosted by leading UK graduate employers – run live over one day at regional locations. The winning teams from Round 2 go through to the Round 3 live Grand Final – hosted by the lead sponsor, IBM.
Key dates:
Entries close on: 21 October 2011
Entries confirmed by: 24 October 2011
Team Starter Pack & Brief: These will be sent out to teams who have entered, starting from a date to be announced. The initial team materials, known as a Starter Pack, consist of all the information necessary to compete in the UBC. These will be sent out in electronic format which can be viewed on-screen or printed out.
Round 1 - On-line - Time Table:
Round 1 commences during October. Teams need to upload their decisions via their Team Home Page (on this UBC UK website) as per the following timetable:
+++
Trial Trading Period: This opens mid-October and decisions can be uploaded from this time until 1 November 2011 (decision form closes at 9 a.m.). Please note that Trial Trading Period (TTP) results do not count towards the final result - the TTP is a practice round for teams to get used to the briefing materials and decisions. Results only count from Trading Period 1 onwards.
Results TTP: 3 November 2011
+++
Trading Period 1: Decisions can be uploaded from 3 November to 8 November 2011 (decision form closes at 9 a.m.)
Results TP1: 10 November 2011
+++
Trading Period 2: Decisions can be uploaded from 10 November to 15 November 2011 (decision form closes at 9 a.m.)
Results TP2: 17 November 2011
+++
Trading Period 3: Decisions can be uploaded from 17 November to 22 November 2011 (decision form closes at 9 a.m.)
Results TP3: 24 November 2011
+++
Trading Period 4: Decisions can be uploaded from 24 November to 29 November 2011 (decision form closes at 9 a.m.)
Results TP4: 1 December 2011
+++
Trading Period 5: Decisions can be uploaded from 1 December to 6 December 2011 (decision form closes at 9 a.m.)
Results TP5: 8 December 2011
Semi-finalists Finalists announced: 8 December 2011
+++
Round 2 – Semi-finals - run live over one day:
The top teams from Round 1 go through to the Round 2 semi-finals - run live in over one day at regional locations. These dates scheduled for February / March 2012 and will be confirmed before the Challenge commences.
+++
Round 3 – Grand Final - run live over one day:
Grand Final: This is scheduled for 23 March 2012 and will be held at IBM UK, Bedfont Lakes, London.
Previous winners......
Previous winners have included:
Bournemouth University, Aston University, University of Manchester, Anglia Ruskin University, Imperial College, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Durham University, Cambridge University, University of Wales Swansea, Farnborough College of Technology and Sussex University.
Semi-finalists have included teams from:
Exeter, Plymouth, Portsmouth, York, Nottingham, Sheffield-Hallam, St Andrews, Brunel, Exeter, Warwick, Imperial, Lancaster, Sheffield, Oxford, UCL, LSE, Manchester, Reading, Southampton, Canterbury, Loughborough, Anglia Ruskin, Nottingham Trent, Aberystwyth, Bristol, Trinity All Saints, Bournemouth, Oxford Brookes, Essex, Birmingham, Abertay Dundee, Robert Gordon, Bell College, Regents Business School, University of Central Lancashire, UCL Royal Holloway, City University, De Montfort, Hertfordshire.
Click here for the Hall of Fame
| There are cash prizes for the top three teams: |
 |
 Download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader
|
To download a printable version of the UBC leaflet please click here 
