The Deloitte Business Competition will help students to understand the business challenges of the 2012 Games and to put forward their own ideas on how to solve them. The competition is based on real-life issues which Deloitte is helping the London Organising Committee to tackle.

As the official professional services provider to London 2012, Deloitte has developed the competition with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The aim is to connect the next-generation of business minds to this once-in-a-lifetime event on home soil.

Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: “When Deloitte first became a sponsor of the London Games, I commented on how passionately they shared LOCOG’s values and vision for London 2012, and how their commitment to those values goes beyond their relationship with the Organising Committee. The Deloitte Business Competition reinforces this, offering students across the UK a fantastic chance to see what is involved in organising an event of this scale”.

Students are being challenged about how to create a positive experience for different groups at Games time. This could be for athletes and officials, the media, local residents, spectators, sponsors, or the Games workforce.

Entrants, who must set out their ideas in 2,012 words, are competing for the prize of a trip to the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and two weeks of paid work experience in the London 2012 sponsorship team at Deloitte. The judges will be looking for creative, entrepreneurial and constructive ideas that can genuinely influence the delivery of the Games.

Deloitte’s Lead Partner for London 2012, Heather Hancock said: “Part of London’s bid to become host city was that the Games would be for the ‘youth of the world’. Deloitte is playing a leading role in realising this ambition.

“By launching this competition we are taking the power of London 2012 into universities to promote business awareness, innovation skills and entrepreneurial thinking.”

The Deloitte Business Competition is now open to all undergraduates and postgraduates at UK universities and is accessible to all degree disciplines. It will close to entries Tuesday 1 December at 12 noon.

For more information visit the competition website by clicking here.