Interested in gaining some practical experience to discover if your passion lies in business-related programs? Perhaps you are thinking of applying to post-secondary business programs that seek evidence of leadership, resilience, determination, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. Joining a Vancouver-based case competition may meet either need!
What is a business case competition?
At business case competitions, high school students work together in small groups to deconstruct a real-world challenge that a company is currently facing. Keeping an eye on the clock, the team must identify the company’s most pressing issue and develop viable, creative solutions. Ideas are then presented to a panel of professionals, who will judge each team, provide follow-up questions, and ultimately decide which team offers the best path toward remediation of the challenge. Students gain experience with critical thinking, public speaking, and group collaboration and conflict resolution – all important attributes for one interested in pursuing a business education and future career!
Business case competitions are held all over the Lower Mainland:
Ascend
Hosted by UBC Sauder and the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre each year in November, Ascend is recognized as the first case competition in the Lower Mainland and places a strong emphasis on learning and developing business skills. Ascend students come from all backgrounds and strive to improve their skills to prepare themselves for future business experiences. This competition enables attendees to gain critical hands-on experience with solving a business’s problem. Students become familiar with presenting in front of judges and more comfortable working together as a team.
By choosing from novice or advanced competition streams, participants can match their level of experience and further enhance their critical thinking and public speaking skills. The winning team of the Novice stream receives a prize of $500, while the Advanced stream winners collect $750. The top three teams in each stream will qualify for the Prosper Ivey Invitational Competition!
Enhance Case Competition
Enhance was created by Vancouver high school students to enable their peers to gain practical business experience and provide opportunities to develop both problem-solving skills and cultivate creativity. Since its inception in 2020, Enhance has also paved the way for the next generation of business-minded young people to showcase ideas, make connections, and take on pertinent business challenges.
As of 2026, Enhance is hosted at UBC Sauder and takes place in April of each year. This one-day conference includes keynote speakers who share their knowledge about different aspects of business. Students then take part in a mystery box activity before turning their attention to case preparation and presentations, both initial and final.
Enhance also offers Enlight, a virtual two-week business bootcamp and competition held in December. The program includes lecture-style lessons taught by business leaders, guest speakers and an online competition designed to challenge students to develop and present novel solutions to a Start Up’s real-world challenges.
Ivey High School Case Competition
Every spring, Ivey Business School at Western University holds dynamic, one-day case competition events in select locations across Canada, including an April stop at Mulgrave School in West Vancouver! Participants in Grades 10 through 12 tackle real-world business challenges while building essential skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and presentation strategy.
What if you’ve never had any experience with case competitions? No problem! No prior experience is required, giving those who are new to business the same opportunities for fun, learning, and growth as those with prior exposure. Every student will be registered individually and placed on a team with peers from a variety of schools, enabling everyone to make new connections and develop innovative solutions to unique business challenges. Teams present their case study ideas to industry professionals and receive valuable feedback. Discover what business looks like in action!
mini Enterprize
Introduce yourself to the world of business consulting! Since 2008, mini Enterprize has hosted 17 business conferences for students in Grades 8-12. Held at UBC Sauder in February, but also available virtually, the day-long mini Enterprize business competition has recently grown to accommodate over 70 teams from across the Lower Mainland! Students can network with industry leaders and peers, participate in hands-on workshops, and build their skills in case studies, financial literacy, critical thinking, and entrepreneurship. A $3,000 prize pool is also available to be won!
Prosper Vancouver Business Conference
Prosper has taken a unique approach to business competitions since their inception in 2017. More than 500 high school attendees in Canada come together in Vancouver each April to make connections within a competitive environment, all while exploring a variety of business-related fields. Students leave empowered, having explored different fields of business to discover their passions, regardless of their past level of experience with case competitions.
Through a collaboration with Ivey Business School, Prosper participants can attend interactive lectures and discussions in one of six different business streams. In 2026, students were involved in activities pertaining to entrepreneurship, finance, management, marketing, strategy, or technology. This collaboration enables students to tackle real-world case studies and gain a preview of university-level learning in their chosen stream. A $2,000 prize is available to be won, and the top 12 teams will qualify for the Prosper Ivey Invitational Competition. Additionally, and unique to Prosper, students can join social impact challenges and design innovative solutions to pressing community challenges.
If Vancouver’s local winter/spring case competitions sound interesting, and you’re thinking of registering in the fall, why not prepare yourself for the experience this summer? Options Solutions’ Preparing for Business Case Competitions workshop takes place on August 25th from 5-8 pm at our South Granville office, and you’re invited! This interactive workshop will teach students the fundamentals of business case competitions and provide hands-on experience. Whether you’re new to casing or looking to build confidence before your next competition, this session will provide practical tools, frameworks, and guided practice to help you succeed.
Contact us at info@optionssolutionsed.com or 604-922-8456 to secure your spot!
