The Swiss Innovation Challenge is structured around the three stages of implementing an innovation project:
In order to be entered for the first selection presentation, participants must formulate their own innovative idea on two sides of A4. It could be any sort of innovative idea at all, e.g. an innovative business model, product or service or an innovative organisational or management idea. In the subsequent first selection presentation, participants have three minutes to win the jury over with their innovation project. Fifty of them will be chosen from this selection round to qualify for the second round.
This stage focuses on the feasibility of participants’ ideas. In order to be entered for the second selection presentation, they must devise a professional business plan based on their innovative concept. In the selection presentation, they have five minutes to outline the key points in their business plan to the jury. The final 25 participants will be chosen from this selection round to qualify for the third stage.
Participants must supplement their business plan with a detailed implementation concept in order to be entered for the final presentation. They must also prepare a concise management summary of the business plan. In order to be entered for the final presentation, the business plan, implementation concept and management summary must meet the following criteria. In the final presentation, participants have seven minutes to present their innovative concept to an extended jury, with the focus being on feasibility. The final presentation is open to the public. The jury for the final presentation is made up of members of the FHNW, the Chamber of Commerce Baselland and the Basellandschaft Cantonal Bank as well as external experts from business and public life.
