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Guidance supporting Europe’s aspiring entrepreneurs
Policy and practice to harness future potential

Example 8. Innovation camps

Innovation camps are 24-hour intensive workshops in which students are given a real life business
problem and they must prepare a solution or idea to solve that problem within a limited period of
time. The camps are often sponsored by private companies (or public sector organisations) that
present students with a business or social problem and some background information that will
guide their work or help resolve the issue.
The students work on the assignments in groups of three to six students and each group is
assigned a space in a conference centre, school, university or a company premises. The groups of
students start the work with an ice-breaking/brainstorming session. The team members may not
know each other, and have to find out how to work together most efficiently. After the initial ice-
breaking session, the students are presented with the challenge. The goal is to find a creative,
innovative solution to the challenge, and just 24 hours later present their solution to a jury that
selects a winner based on selected criteria.
Many of the companies presenting the challenge are multi-nationals, though many SMEs
have also been engaged. The challenge might involve asking students to come up with a marketing
strategy for a local museum or a company, or it can be a much broader social issue, such as
coming up with an environmentally and socially responsible solution to a problem faced by a
company.
Then the teams need to move into the next phase which involves thinking through how to
make their idea a reality. They are given access to tools, information and resources and an
opportunity to meet representatives of the company who have provided students with the challenge.
The representatives may be consulted by the students on technical, marketing or financial
questions, or conceptual aspect of their idea. The students sleep at the premises and often work
throughout the night.
Teams have to prepare a business concept and make their final presentations to a jury. The
jury normally comprises representatives of the company, the school(s), public sector organisations
and/or media.
Students enjoy the challenge and the ‘buzz’ created by the team work and the time pressure.
The activity also provides them with intense training on how to work creatively within a team. This
helps to develop their interpersonal and problem-solving skills and teach them about work under
tight deadlines.

The drawback of this approach is that the short time period does not allow
students to gain a real insight into the lifecycle of a business and the
opportunities and challenges associated with entrepreneurship. Some parties
have raised concerns when mini-companies have been replaced by innovation
camps as a less expensive way of providing entrepreneurship education; they
should, however, be seen as complementary - something that raises awareness
and ‘kindles’ enthusiasm for education for entrepreneurship – and not something
that would replace the in-depth learning experience related to mini-companies.

3.3.2. Business competitions
VET students have more opportunities to participate in business orientated
competitions today than ever before. Competitions have become an important
element of the entrepreneurship learning agenda and many of them are linked to
other entrepreneurial activities, such as mini-companies. Competitions are

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