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IFAMA 2025 Venture Building Challenge – Online IFAMA is pleased to announce a call for teams for the IFAMA 2025 Venture Building Challenge, an online competition, on 13–14 November, 2025. (Register by 06–November.) The Venture Building Challenge (VBC) is an excellent introduction to learning how case studies are routinely used as a problem-solving tool throughout industry and academia. SPONSORED BY: AGRAYA. As the corporate home of the well-established GLOBALG.A.P. and GGN label brands, AGRAYA GmbH builds on over two decades of technical and operational expertise. Nevertheless, this is not just a continuation, but a deliberate shift toward a future-ready organization equipped to tackle emerging challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector. Agraya's mission is to empower agricultural supply chains with trusted intelligence that enhances operational efficiency. Professors and Instructors who teach business and marketing courses, or even university-level ag clubs are invited to add this activity to your course curriculum in order to challenge students' ingenuity and creativity. Or, Managers and Executives leading teams of young talent are invited to register a team, providing both a unique professional development opportunity and a chance to represent your company on a global stage. GUIDELINES The Venture Building Challenge collides the worlds of research and entrepreneurship for a unique and dynamic challenge that will test teams’ creativity, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of practical implementation to tackle a global challenge: Commercialization. Teams will receive a research case, (approximately 10-pages) detailing an emerging science or technology innovation. Teams are tasked to create a 12-minute video presentation showcasing a pathway to market for their solution, accompanied by a one-page brief. Each team will also receive an entrepreneurship toolkit at the start of the competition, consisting of key frameworks to detail their strategy. The Venture Building Challenge is 100% online, giving teams from around the world an opportunity to showcase their talents on a global stage. There will only be one division for competing teams in the Venture Building Challenge, and teams are encouraged to embrace diversity of thought within their group composition. Teams should have 2–4 members, and may include undergraduate students, postgraduates, and/or early career professionals up to 35 years old. Universities or organizations may send multiple teams. Don’t have a team? No problem. Individuals may apply on their own, and IFAMA will help form teams by pairing students and young professionals from different universities or organizations and countries. An active IFAMA membership is required to participate. |
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2023 Winners: 
2023 2nd Place Team: Pre-Cycle (New Zealand)COMPETITION STRUCTURE Each team must nominate a Team Captain. The Team Captain will become the key point of contact between IFAMA and the team prior to the competition. Teams can also have a senior advisor (such as a lecturer or manager). Advisors may play a major role in helping students or young professionals prepare for the competition. However, teams must work independently from their advisor during the competition. |
BRIEFING All teams have the opportunity to join a 1-hour briefing and Q&A session. This will occur twice to accommodate attendees in two time zones on 17-October 2025: CEST 08:00 and 20:00. The sessions will be recorded and can be watched later on YouTube if the team is unable to attend either of the live briefings. However it is most beneficial to attend the session in person so that any questions you may have can be answered. *Note: The 8:00pm (20:00) CEST session is a repeat session containing the same information in the earlier session to accommodate attendees in different time zones. Your Team Captain will be sent the Zoom link to join the session, and they can share it with all team members. PRELIMINARY ROUND In the first round of the challenge, teams will have four hours to analyze the research case and submit their video and one-page brief. It is expected that all team members will have comparable speaking roles and significantly contribute to their team’s presentation. Each Time Zone heat will receive the same research case. Teams will be given a scoring rubric in advance that will be used by the judges. |
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All details regarding the video and document upload and submission will be provided in advance of the challenge start. The research case and an entrepreneurship toolkit will be emailed to Team Captains at the start time outlined below. Time Zone A teams: 08:00-12:00 CEST, 13-November 2024 A judging panel comprised of a research case representative, IFAMA Board members and an international expert judge will complete a scoring matrix for each competing team and announce the championship qualifiers at least six-hours prior to the start of the final round. CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND The championship round will only be held at the discretion of the judges. The winner and runner-up from each time-zone heat will qualify for the championship round, where each team will compete in the same Time Zone period as the previous day. For the championship round, all teams will be answering extension questions from the original research case, in just 2 hours. Time Zone A teams: 08:00-10:00 CEST, 14-November 2025 PRIZE WINNINGS The grand champion team and runners-up will have their videos displayed to a global audience during the announcement. Both teams will be formally recognized during a live awards ceremony. $3500 USD will be awarded to winning teams and other non-cash prizes will be announced. TEAM REGISTRATION & FEES 1. Download the application here:
2. Email the completed applications no later than 06-November to VBC: conference@ifama.org Students or Early Career Professionals who are not attached to a team but want to compete may apply to join a team by completing an individual application. Every effort will be made to accommodate all unaffiliated individuals, however, if more applications are received than can be accommodated, preference will be given to applications with the earliest submission dates. Each member of the team must be an active member of IFAMA in order to participate in the competition. You can easily join IFAMA by following this link: www.ifama.org/join-now ($25 USD membership fee).
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TIMELINE 06-Oct 2025 Early application opens, confirming intent to compete in competition 17-Oct 2025 Online Team Check-in and Briefing 06-Nov 2025 Deadline to submit application and pay registration fee 13-Nov 2025 Preliminary Round 14-Nov 2025 Finals Round 17-Nov 2025 Awards Ceremony and winners announced 2025 VENTURE BUILDING CHALLENGE COMMITTEE Co-Chairs: Comfort Onyaga and Jorge Bittner, IFAMA Young Board QUESTIONS? Please contact IFAMA Executive Director: Kathryn White: conference@ifama.org COMPETITION SPONSOR
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