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Introduction

What is a case competition?

A team of students is supplied with a business scenario of a real, top-performing company facing challenges. Students step into the shoes of management consultants to identify the most prominent issues and craft a solution. Each team has a set amount of time to develop a strategy to address the key issues and present it to a panel of judges.. The team that presents the best solution wins the competition.

Harvard Crimson Global Case Competition (HCGCC)

Many students mistakenly believe that case competitions are only for experts. However, the Harvard Crimson Global Case Competition (HCGCC) is a global, virtual event designed for both beginners and experts. More than just a competition, it's a comprehensive learning experience. Participants gain free access to on-demand bootcamps and live webinars that teach essential skills for success.

 

Now in its 9th year, HCGCC is hosted through a joint collaboration between Crimson Education and The Harvard Crimson. Last year, we welcomed over 5,200+ students from 110+ countries, and we're excited for the journey that lies ahead for you!

What challenges did participants address in HCGCC 2025?

Regional Round: CAVA

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In the 2025 regional round, students stepped inside CAVA, one of the fastest-rising names in U.S. fast-casual dining. With competition heating up, operations growing more complex, and customers expecting more from digital experiences, CAVA's rapid growth came with real risks. Students had to dissect its business model and market position, then design an expansion strategy that could scale nationwide without diluting the brand that made it a success.

 

See the HCGCC 2025 Regional Cases & Finalist Solutions

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Global Round: Boeing

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In the Global Round, finalists faced one of the biggest names in aviation: Boeing. With its reputation under pressure, fierce competition from rivals, and rising demands around innovation and sustainability, Boeing needed a clear path forward. Stepping into the role of strategic advisors, students developed bold, practical recommendations to help the company regain momentum, strengthen its global position, and prepare for the future of flight.

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You can view the HCGCC 2025's first place submission by Powerpoint Rangers (USA) here

Competition Journey

Once you’ve registered individually, the next step is to register your team.

Team Registration

  • Each team should consist of 2-4 people
     

  • We highly suggest forming a team with friends and other students at your school so you're in the same time zone and can communicate easily

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  • Designate one person from your team as the Team Leader to receive and respond to communications.

    • Team registration and submission confirmations will be sent only to the Team Leader, who is also responsible for submitting all materials on time.

    • Your Team Leader will be responsible for making your submissions and co-ordinating with the HCGCC Team.
       

  • In HCGCC, teams compete against each other based on the region your team represents:

    • APAC (East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania)

    • North America

    • Europe + Russia + Central Asia

    • LATAM (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the islands of the Caribbean)

    • Middle East + Africa
      To check which region your country falls within, see question #6 on our FAQ page.

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  • We recommend that all team members be from the same region to ensure better collaboration and alignment across time zones. However, teams can include members from different regions around the world.

    • If two or more members are from the same region, your team will represent that region in the competition.

    • In cases where each team member is from a different region, your team can choose which region to represent—but, all members must agree to participate under that one selected region.

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Unsure which region your team should compete from?

We've got you covered. See Question 6 on the FAQ page for clarity.

Can't find teammates?

Every year, we help participants find teammates if they're unable to form a team with friends or other students at their school. Join the HCGCC Discord to interact with fellow competitors, find teammates, discuss the competition and more!

Deadline: 21st October, 2026 by 11:59pm GMT

Kazakhstan students can register their team here

Bootcamps Topics 

Accessing the HCGCC Bootcamp on Notion
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  • Click this link to access the bootcamp.

  • Follow the prompts to access the HCGCC 2026 Bootcamp.

  • Make sure you're signed into your Notion account.

  • If you don't have a Notion account, you'll be prompted to create one.

MODULE 1 -

CASE COMP 101

LECTURE 1: Problem Identification
 

LECTURE 2: Problem Analysis
 

LECTURE 3: Problem Solution

MODULE 2 -

BUSINESS 101

LECTURE 1: SWOT
 

LECTURE 2: Industry and Timeline
 

LECTURE 3: Finances

MODULE 3 - CONSULTING

LECTURE 1: What Is Consulting?
 

LECTURE 2: Task Prioritization
 

LECTURE 3: Overview of Sit-Com-Sol
 

LECTURE 4: Steps for Entering the Market

MODULE 4 -

A SUCCESSFUL CASE DECK

LECTURE 1: An Introduction to Pitch Decks
 

LECTURE 2: The Essential Components of a Case Pitch Deck
 

LECTURE 3: The Most Common Pitch Deck Mistakes

MODULE 5 -

EVIDENCE AND REASONING

LECTURE 1: Evidence: Definition and Types

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LECTURE 2: Presenting Quantitative Evidence
 

LECTURE 3: Emotional Appeal

MODULE 6 -

PRESENTATION SKILLS

LECTURE 1: The Logistics of Presenting
 

LECTURE 2: Clearly Presenting Your Slide Deck
 

LECTURE 3: Techniques for Effective Delivery

Live Webinars

All registered participants get exclusive access to a series of expert-led webinars designed to help you excel at every stage of HCGCC. From mastering business frameworks and presentation skills to understanding how top teams approach real-world cases, these sessions are packed with insights from industry professionals and former winners. Live webinars begin on 10th October 2026.

Learn more about each upcoming session and view past recordings here. 

Summary

STEP 1 : REGISTER

STEP 2 : PREPARE

STEP 3 : COMPETE - QUALIFIERS

  • Register individually at casecomp.org by 14 October

  • Form a team of 2–4 students

  • Choose a team leader

  • Team leader registers the team by 20 October

  • Every team member must complete their own registration

  • Access on-demand bootcamps and join live webinars with industry experts, starting 10th October

  • Learn frameworks, financial analysis and presentation skills to prepare for the case

  • All registered students get free access

  • The regional case is released on 22 October

  • Work as a team to analyze the business challenge and develop your recommendations

  • Submit a 5–8 slide PDF deck (plus up to 5 appendix slides) by 29 October

  • Judges score against the rubrics

STEP 4 : REGIONAL FINALS

STEP 5: LIVE GLOBAL FINALS

  • The top 10 teams from each region (50 teams in total) advance

  • Submit a video of up to 5 minutes by 12 November, with a team introduction and an overview of your solution

  • Every team member must speak and appear on camera

  • The top 2 teams from each region qualify for the Global Finals

  • The 10 finalist teams receive a brand-new global case on 19 November

  • Submit an 8–15 slide deep-dive deck by 26 November

  • Present live to a panel of industry experts on 29 November, followed by Q&A

  • The Global Winner is announced on 1 December

Key Dates

JULY

14th July

Early Bird Registration Opens

The Team Registration form will be sent to all students via email once they register individually.

SEPTEMBER

2nd September

Early Bird Registration Closes

3rd September

Regular Registration Opens

OCTOBER

14th October

Individual Registrations Close

10th October

Live Webinars With Industry Experts

22nd October

Regional Case Announcement

Teams receive the regional case via email and have one week to submit their solutions.

29th October

Regional Case Submission Deadline

NOVEMBER

6th November

Regional Qualifiers Announced

50 teams (10 teams per region across 5 regions) advance to the regional finals.

12th November

Video Pitch Submission Deadline

19th November

Regional Winners Announced + Global Case Released

10 teams (top 2 per region) advance to the Global Finals. (Moved here from 12 November.)

26th November

Global Case Submission Deadline

29th November

Live Global Finals

Each team will be assigned a presentation time based on its time zone.

DECEMBER

1st December

Global Winners Announced!

HCGCC Prizes

Prizes

PLEASE NOTE:

 

  • All students who submit the regional case will receive a Certificate of Participation once the competition ends.

  • Regional Winners will receive a Certificate of Recognition once the competition concludes.

  • Global winners will be sent a form to fill out after the results are announced. Once this form is completed, the HCGCC team will reach out to the winners individually to figure out logistics and distribution.

Deck and Presentation Criteria

**The submission forms will be sent closer to the deadlines via email.

SUBMISSION CRITERIA

Regional Qualifiers

  • Teams must submit a PDF presentation for review

  • Naming Convention: HCGCC26_Region_TeamName

  • The qualifying deck submissions should consist of 5 - 8 Slides, excluding the title and appendix slides

  • The appendix goes at the end of the presentation and cannot be more than 5 slides.

  • Judges will review the submitted presentation based on the following criteria:

    • Issue diagnosis

    • Analysis of issues

    • Scope of innovation in recommendations

    • Metrics/validation

  • 50 teams (10 teams per region across 5 regions) advance to the next stage.

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More information regarding submission guidelines, judging rubric, suggested content, etc. will be shared only with paid participants once they register. 

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Regional Finals

  • The top 10 submissions from each region (50 teams overall) will be invited to the regional round

  • The regional round is a video presentation of your case solution, including a team introduction and a high-level overview of your solution.

  • All team members must speak and be visible in the video

  • Judges will review the submitted videos based on the following criteria:

    • Presentation Logic

    • Engaging Speaking

    • Technical Organisation

    • Teamwork

  • The video must not exceed 5 minutes

  • 10 teams (top 2 per region) advance to the Global Finals.

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More information regarding pitch guidelines, judging rubric, and past examples will be shared with all paid participants once the competition starts.

Global Finals

  • For the final round, the top 10 teams will receive a new case and present it LIVE to judges in a virtual event.

  • Once the Global Finals teams are announced, the HCGCC organizing committee will prepare a detailed presentation schedule, assigning each team a specific date and time based on its time zone.

  • The deck for this round should consist of 8 - 15 slides and present a deep dive. 

  • The focus of this round is to test your understanding of the case, the depth of your analysis, and your ability to think on your feet. 

  • Judges will review your pitch based on: 

    • Issue diagnosis 

    • Analysis

    • Scope of innovation 

    • Recommended solution 

    • Speaking engagement 

    • Teamwork 

    • Q&A, etc 

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Guidelines for presentations, detailed information, judging rubric, etc will be shared with the finalists closer to the Global Finals.

DETAILS FOR EACH ROUND WILL BE SHARED WITH PAID REGISTRANTS ONCE THE COMPETITION STARTS. 

Approaching The Case

It's normal to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information you learn about a new case. How do you even begin?

Overwhelmed? Simplify.

  • Perform a thorough diagnosis of the key challenges the business is experiencing.
     

  • Propose the most efficient strategies to solve these challenges.
     

  • Explain how the strategy will be implemented and include financial projections of costs and revenues
     

  • Support all points with data and explain the reasoning behind your assumptions.

In the regional round, each team will have approximately one week (22nd - 29th October) to accomplish the above. Teams will need to allocate their time efficiently.

 

In the global round, teams will have one week to submit their deck (19th-26th November), followed by the live presentation on 29th November

 

Efficiency is key.

Steps For Success

Step 1 : Understanding The Case

Generally, this time should not be used for discussion, except to ensure that everyone understands the case. Each team member analyzes the current state of the business and its problems. Tools such as a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) can be useful.

Step 2 : Discussion Time

Share initial thoughts and insights. Ensure that every team member understands the company's situation and challenges.

Step 3 : Discussion Of The Issue

As a team, choose 1–2 issues to address. In some cases, pressing issues can be identified immediately. In others, the business may appear to be doing fine. The first step is to choose and justify which issues should be prioritized. A market study may be needed to determine whether growth opportunities exist or why growth is stunted. Remember to link the issues to their tangible impact on the business.

Step 4 : Strategy Brainstorm

If the team has chosen more than one issue, consider breaking into smaller groups to use your time more efficiently. Brainstorm as many focused, results-driven ideas for solving the problem as possible.

Step 5 : Strategy Implementation

Carefully consider the difficulty of implementation, risk, and short and long-term impacts of each strategy to narrow down which to develop. Keep the strategy concise. Judges will see right through any fluff. Consider different stages of implementation and different components that serve slightly different purposes. Put everything on a timeline in the presentation.

Step 6 : Financial Projections

Most business leaders think in financial terms, so this is the chance to prove that the monetary benefits of the proposed strategies outweigh the costs. Consider both forecasts where everything goes to plan and scenarios where market changes or other factors come into play. Although accuracy is always good, don't get trapped into thinking every dollar must be forecasted – the uncertainty of future circumstances allows for a fair bit of creative license.

Step 7 : Putting It All Together

Bring everyone's work together into one clear, logical story. Start with the key issue, then walk the judges through your analysis, recommendations, implementation timeline and financial impact. Keep your slides visual and consistent in design, and check your deck against the judging criteria before you submit. Leave time to rehearse as a team so every member knows their section and the transitions run smoothly.

Live Presentation Tips

The presentation aspect of the competition is crucial and must not be overlooked. Judges do NOT assess performance during the preparation, they only see the final product!

  • Be confident! Remember you are proposing ideas to business managers, and cannot expect them to be confident in your ideas if you cannot sell them yourself.

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  • Make a good first impression and create a connection with the judges by introducing yourselves as you join the call.

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  • Simplicity is key. Try to make slides visual and simple. Diagrams are usually more effective than words.

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  • All team members must speak during the presentation. The most effective presentations are split evenly among members. Often, teams use a double-speaker setup; this involves having two people speak per section and splitting up the presentation by section.

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  • Ensure all team members are engaged with the presentation the entire time, even when not speaking! This often involves smiling and maintaining natural eye contact with the camera.

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  • The team member speaking will be responsible for saying "next slide". Ensure these transitions are rehearsed for a smooth delivery.

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  • Keep track of time! You will receive a time warning when 2 minutes remain and again when 30 seconds remain. You will be stopped once your allotted time is up.

Preparing In The Lead-Up To The Competition

Due to the nature of a case competition, there isn’t much time after the case is released to develop a highly compelling strategy. However, reading business news and other business-related websites before the case is released can help you understanding how the business world works. Here are some recommended readings and research areas:

  • Industry reports

Industry reports are periodic publications that discuss the current state of individual industries. These reports are great for learning vocabulary and identifying relevant industry-specific trends.

 

Some suggested publications: Bloomberg, Investopedia, Harvard Business Review, McKinsey Insights, and Seeking Alpha.

  • Practice strategic thinking

Start by crafting solutions for everyday life challenges. Notice something that bothers you? Pinpoint it and think of simple solutions. A creative, problem-solving mindset can be developed and perfected to the point where it comes naturally in the prep room.

  • Current affairs

Check the news at least twice a week, especially business news. This can be found by clicking on the business section of all major news outlets or going to Yahoo Finance to keep up to date with mergers and IPOs. Yahoo Finance also lets you follow the performance of individual businesses, so treat these as mock case studies and analyze their decisions.

Best of  luck!

Give it everything you’ve got, and above all, enjoy it!

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