Round I: May 24 | Round II: May 26–28 | Finalist Announcement: May 30 | Final Round: May 31

Open to all students — any college, any year, any background. Individuals or teams of max 2. Free to enter.

All submissions must be original work. Plagiarism or falsification leads to disqualification. Decisions by the panel and organizing team are final.

Winners receive two exclusive prizes: an NPO Financial Consulting Engagement — a live professional placement with a real Non-Profit Organisation — and One-on-One Mentorship Sessions with our jury panelists from investment, advisory, and corporate finance.

All participants receive certificates: Certificate of Participation (Round I completers), Certificate of Merit (Round II qualifiers), and Certificate of Finalist (Final Round teams). All issued by First Step Finance.

Round II submissions will be evaluated across eight criteria:

Problem Understanding (10%) — Did they correctly identify the core issue/problem?

Financial Analysis (20%) — Accuracy of calculations, assumptions, profitability, valuation logic, budgeting, KPIs etc.

Strategic Thinking (20%) — Quality of business decisions, prioritization, long-term thinking

Feasibility & Practicality (15%) — Can this realisitcally be implemented? Resources, timelines, risks

Creativity/Innovation (10%) — Unique but sensible ideas

Data Interpretation (10%)  — Ability to interpret charts, trends, market signals, customer insights

Structure & Clarity (10%)  — Logical flow, concise communication, professionalism

Decision Justification (5%)  — Did they explain why they chose their recommendations?

Judges are industry professionals from investment, advisory, consulting, and corporate finance. All judging decisions are final.