This challenge for students creating a startup was organized by NEOMA Business School Campus Reims, POTENTIEL, local operator of PEPITE Champagne-Ardenne and their partners, on 20th and 21st March on the Reims campus. With this pedagogical initiative on ‘a huge scale’ the school is pursuing its goal : give students a taste for entrepreneurship, but also reaching out to the global student community in Reims and the region.

With an incubator on each of its 3 campuses (incubateur.neoma-bs.fr), a chair in teaching and research BNP Paribas-KPMG « Business Model and Entrepreneurial Innovation », a pole of Entrepreneurial research and innovation, “entrepreneurial’ specialization in several programs… NEOMA Business School has multiplied initiatives in favor of entrepreneurship.
With this 5th edition of « NEOMA BS STARTUP », the school has renewed an idea that has had a huge success with students in the last 5 years.    

A ‘true life’ pedagogical experience …
"For two days, students from the school and more generally from the region formed teams to work on developing new pro" explains Frédéric Nlemvo, head of the strategy and Entrepreneurship department at NEOMA Business School. “One of the main interests of this exercise lies in the fact that students from different backgrounds and with diverse specialties are invited to work together, and thus experience working on teams with transversal skills”. So, 53 students from different backgrounds ( inter –establishments and inter –disciplines) were happy to take part in this event..

Led by a team of professors from NEOMA Business School throughout the challenge, the students had to work for 24 hours in 8 pluridisciplinary teams on the development of an innovative concept. “Discovering the role of an entrepreneur, applying skills necessary in setting up a company, or diversifying within an existing company, project management…. This exercise which celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit is an opportunity for students to understand at firsthand what entrepreneurship really is and develop some key skills” adds Frédéric Nlemvo  

Award ceremony with a professional jury
At the end of the 24 hours, each team presented their business plan for which the jury gave received an evaluation for the written and oral part. This jury, composed of professional experts in entrepreneurship, innovators, and representatives from third level teaching institutions selected two finalists. The two finalists finally presented their concept to a second jury on March 31st at Reims city hall.  

In the end the team presenting Loveez an online dating project for the elderly won the prize for the 2015 edition.  

ADC, (Ambassade du Champagne), the start-up resulting from the incubator at and a former winner of the challenge, contributed by offering the 2015 winners a personalized magnum. A nice example of creating links between our entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow!  

>> See the photos of The 5th edition of NEOMA BS Startup