The prestigious European Business Plan of the Year Competition will be held at the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School this year. Carefully selected student teams from 12 top European business schools will each present their business plan in a competition for the best idea. A professional jury will reward the team with the most creative and feasible plan for a new business.

This competition was created in 1993 by INSEAD and London Business School to encourage the teaching of entrepreneurship and the creation of new ventures in Europe. Each participating school selects the best business plan made by their students. On May 30-31th the finest ideas from Europe will compete with each other at the Ghent Campus of Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.

The event will not be restricted to only the students from the competing business schools. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is inviting students from all Flemish universities and colleges of higher education. Because they can learn a lot from the way the competing students present their business plan to an audience. And maybe also feel the excitement the contestants have about their idea. This Student Entrepreneurship Day (STODA) is organised with the support of the Flemish government. It is one of the initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship in our country.

Research by Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School shows that Flemish students lack entrepreneurial spirit compared to their European counterparts. Only 2 percent of our youngsters have an own company during their studies. The international percentage is 3,2 percent. Maybe not such a bad thing that our students are focusing on getting their degree first. But also afterwards, the interest for amongst the students to start up a company in the future is very low compared to the rest of Europe.

The competing business schools

• Rotterdam School of Management
• Tanaka Business School
• Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship
• London Business School
• WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management
• Alba Graduate Business School
• IESE
• Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School
• SDA Bocconi
• Cranfield School of Management
• Catolica/Nova
• EM Lyon

Sponsors:

• Financial Times
• The Emmanuel Kaye Foundation
• Gimv
• The Flemish Government