Sydney Schools Business Competition 2027
Your team advises Southern Cross Technologies, a fictional Sydney company stuck with eight million unsold tags. Over five weeks, new information arrives in stages, and each stage asks for a new decision and a new deliverable.
The route
Exact opening and closing times are emailed to every registered team when each stage opens. Late work isn't marked.
-
1–2 Feb
All teams
Mile 0: Briefing Check
A short check that your team has read the Opening Case. Five or six auto-marked questions, ten minutes once opened. Not scored: it just makes sure nobody starts behind.
- One set of answers per team
-
3–10 Feb
All teams
Mile 1: Where to Play
Market data, customer interviews and a survey. Decide which markets to enter first, which to leave for later, and which to walk away from.
- Decision worksheet
- 150–250 word memo
- One evidence calculation
-
11–17 Feb
All teams
Mile 2: Making It Pay
Choose how the company makes money, build a three-year plan inside the budget, and test what happens if sales come in slower than hoped.
- Three-year and investment plan
- 150–250 word memo
- 2–3 minute recorded pitch (every member speaks)
-
21 Feb
Schools
School nominations
Each school nominates one team to continue, based on Mile 1 and Mile 2.
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22–28 Feb
Nominated teams
Mile 3: Project Kestrel
Something unexpected lands on the CEO's desk. Decide whether to accept, reject or negotiate, and show what changes in your plan.
- Response memo (up to 400 words)
- “What changes” table
- One-page term sheet
-
4 Mar
Top 10 teams
Live Final, Sydney Grammar School
Present your strategy in up to seven minutes, take five minutes of judges' questions, then respond live to new information you haven't seen before.
The top ten teams overall, ranked on Mile 1, Mile 2 and Project Kestrel, are invited to the Live Final at Sydney Grammar School on 4 March 2027.
Who can enter
- Students at any NSW secondary school, including Years 9 and 10
- Teams of three to four students from the same school
- Up to three teams per school, and each student in one team only
- One staff member at your school who knows your team is taking part
- Free to enter, with no paid software or databases needed
- Register by 2 February 2027
How you're judged
The same five criteria at every stage, with weights that shift to match what each stage tests. Submissions are coded so markers don't see school names, teams near the finalist cut-off are marked twice, and sponsors have no say in results.
| Stage | Framing | Evidence | Feasibility | Trade-offs | Communication |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile 1 | 25% | 35% | 10% | 20% | 10% |
| Mile 2 | 25% | 25% | 20% | 20% | 10% |
| Project Kestrel | 20% | 20% | 20% | 30% | 10% |
| Live Final | 20% | 20% | 20% | 20% | 20% |
Weights in percent for each stage. Mile 0 is auto-marked and not weighted.
- Problem framing
- Did you find the central problem and build a clear strategy around it?
- Evidence and analysis
- Is the evidence relevant, read correctly and used to support your recommendation?
- Feasibility and numbers
- Could the company actually do this, and do the numbers add up?
- Recommendation and trade-offs
- Did you make a clear call and admit the main risks and alternatives?
- Communication
- Is it clear, concise and persuasive?
Fair play
- Use AI for research and editing, then declare it in a short note with every submission.
- The analysis and decisions must be your team's own. Any member may be asked to explain any number.
- Use the case figures, plus up to two named outside sources across the whole competition.
- Teachers and parents can teach general skills, but must not write or shape your analysis.
- Don't share the case materials publicly before the Live Final.
- Read the full rules
Submitting
Registered teams submit through the competition portal, run with our partner Caplet. It opens in February 2027, and teams get the link by email before Mile 0.
- Technical problem? Contact us before the deadline, not after.
- Need a reasonable adjustment, such as extra time? Ask before the stage opens.
- Appeals are in writing, within three days of results, and only for procedural errors.
Words you'll meet
Every term is also explained in the case the first time it appears.
- Revenue
- The money a business brings in from sales, before any costs come out.
- Cost
- What the business spends to make, buy or deliver what it sells.
- Profit
- Revenue minus costs. When it's negative, it's a loss.
- Margin
- Profit as a share of revenue. A 20% margin means keeping 20 cents of every dollar of sales.
- Sunk cost
- Money already spent that you can't get back, so it shouldn't drive your next decision. Try it in the mini case.
- Payback period
- How long an investment takes to earn back what it cost.
- Market size
- How much customers in a market spend, or could spend, in a year.
- Trade-off
- What you give up by choosing one option over another. Judges want you to name it.
Questions
What is the Sydney Schools Business Competition?
The Sydney Schools Business Competition (SSBC) is a free business case competition for high school students from any NSW secondary school, run by Mile Zero. Teams of three or four advise a fictional Sydney company over five weeks, then the top ten teams present at a Live Final at Sydney Grammar School on 4 March 2027.
When is the SSBC 2027?
Mile 0 opens 1 February 2027 and registrations close 2 February 2027. The online stages run through February, and the Live Final is on 4 March 2027 at Sydney Grammar School.
How much does it cost to enter?
Nothing. Entry is free, and you don't need any paid software or databases.
How do we register?
Form a team of three or four students from your school, find one staff member who knows you're taking part, and register on the Get involved page before 2 February 2027. Each school can enter up to three teams.
Do we need to know finance?
No. Every term is explained the first time it appears, and the case gives you every number you need. Judges reward clear thinking over jargon.
How much time does it take?
Roughly a few hours per mile, spread across a week, mostly outside class time. Mile 0 takes ten minutes.
Can Year 9 and 10 students enter?
Yes. Any student at a NSW secondary school can enter.
Our school doesn't have a business society. Can we still enter?
Yes. You only need a staff member who knows you're taking part. If you'd like to start a society too, the Starter Toolkit shows you how.
Can we use AI tools?
For research and editing, yes, as long as you declare it in a short note with each submission. The analysis and decisions must be your team's own.
What if our team isn't nominated?
You still get feedback on your Mile 1 and Mile 2 work, and you've completed a real case from start to finish.
Where can we read the case?
The Opening Case goes to registered teams before Mile 0. Case materials aren't published on the open web before the Live Final.
What are the prizes?
To be announced.