Marlborough
Business Competition for Intermediate Schools
Hey Marlborough - Here’s a fun, FREE, hands-on competition for Years 7–8. Give your students the opportunity to think creatively, solve real problems, and design something that makes a positive difference in their school or community.
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Challenge Overview
Subject area: Business/Commerce
Year level: Intermediate
Teams: 3-5 students
Dates: TBC
Key concepts
Students explore a real-world theme and create a product or service that helps their school, community, or whānau.
Problem / Opportunity
Solution Ideation
Advertising and Promotion
Pitching
How the challenge works
Students complete four simple, high-energy steps:
THINK IT – Identify a problem and imagine a solution
MAKE IT – Sketch, model, or build a simple prototype
MARKET IT – Design a promotional advert
SHARE IT – Record a pitch of their idea
Free to enter + great prizes
Prizes awarded for first, second, and third place teams.
Teachers receive everything needed to run the challenge:
Ready-to-use slide deck
Teacher notes
Student worksheets
Marking criteria
What students get out of it
Students will:
Understand how entrepreneurs solve real problems
Boost creativity through hands-on ideation
Strengthen communication, teamwork, and presentation skills
Why this challenge works for intermediate students
High engagement: fosters creativity and applied thinking in teams
Builds entrepreneurial mindset: identify a need design a solution communicate its value
Meaningful: themes connect to issues students genuinely care about
Flexible timing: the challenge adapts to your schedule and the needs of your class - use it continuously or spread it across a term.
Support students to create something real, meaningful, and uniquely theirs. Invite your students to join the challenge and watch their ideas come alive!
Real-world challenges, real student thinking, real impact!
