EntrepreneurshipPresentationTeam Event

International Business Plan

Write a plan of up to 20 pages for a new venture in another country, including an analysis of that country's economy, government, laws and culture, then present it to a judge playing a business executive in 15 minutes. No exam.

About this event

International Business Plan (event code IBP) is for one to three chapter members who propose a new business venture, or a new product or service for an existing business, in an international setting. Any type of business qualifies. What sets it apart from Independent Business Plan is the required analysis of the trading country: its economic system and level of foreign investment, its government structure and stability and how it controls trade, the laws and agencies that affect the business, plus geography, demographics, customs and the trade documents both countries require. The written entry follows a fixed outline: executive summary, analysis of the international business situation, problem and business opportunity, customer segments and channels, unique value proposition and competitive advantage, solution, revenue and key metrics with cost structure, detailed financials, conclusion and financing request, bibliography and optional appendix. You present as the entrepreneurs; the judge plays a business executive deciding whether to approve the proposal. The written entry is capped at 20 numbered pages (appendix included, title page and table of contents excluded), must follow the published outline with every section titled, and must have the signed Statement of Assurances in front; penalty points come off for formatting violations. ICDC qualifiers upload the entry through DECA's online submission system in the weeks before the conference (DECA posts each year's window on its ICDC page; the 2026 window ran March 25 to April 8) and the chapter advisor must log in to verify it. The presentation is up to 15 minutes including the judge's questions, every team member must take part, and only hand-carried visual aids are allowed. Written entry and presentation are each scored out of 100 for a 200-point total before penalties.

What judges score

Business Concept and Value (15)International Market Analysis (15)Customer and Competitive Positioning (15)Solution and Execution (15)Financial Viability and Investment Case (15)Presentation Technique: Organization (5)Presentation Technique: Persuasion (5)Presentation Technique: Delivery (5)Presentation Technique: Presentation Design (5)Presentation Technique: Overall Impression (5)

What judges score

Executive Summary: the business concept and model and the value it creates (10)International Business Situation Analysis: economic, governmental, legal, cultural and market conditions of the selected country (5)Problem and Business Opportunity (10)Customer Segments and Channels (10)Unique Value Proposition and Competitive Advantage (10)Solution: key features that address the problem and are feasible in the international context (10)Revenue Model and Key Metrics (10)Cost Structure (10)Detailed Financials: projections and the plan to meet capital needs (10)Conclusion and Financing Request (10)Professional Standards: professional layout, business language and correct grammar (5)

Study resources

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