Business Point 2026: 20 Years of Systematic Support for Managerial and Marketing Thinking among High School Students

The Faculty of Business and Management at Brno University of Technology (FBM BUT) has successfully completed another edition of the final round of the Business Point competition, which for 20 years has been one of the faculty’s flagship activities focused on developing managerial and marketing thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurship among high school students from across the Czech Republic. The competition was initiated by Robert Zich and Pavel Mráček and has gradually evolved into a respected platform connecting education, practice, and work with young talents. The anniversary finals took place on Friday, January 23, and Saturday, January 24, 2026.

The theme of this year’s edition was sustainable local entrepreneurship and its presentation—an area that naturally responds to current challenges in business practice as well as the needs of regions. The competition thus offered students the opportunity to think about entrepreneurship in a broader context and to seek solutions that make sense not only economically, but also socially and environmentally. This very connection reflects the long-term values of the Faculty of Business and Management, summarized in its brand promise: Innovation. Business. Environment.

Despite unfavorable weather conditions and related traffic complications, the two-day final was held without any issues. This year, the faculty tested a new, more dynamic concept for the first time, emphasizing creativity, teamwork, and the ability to clearly communicate one’s business idea. Throughout the final, a very pleasant, friendly, and inspiring atmosphere prevailed, encouraging open exchange of ideas among the competitors.

Sustainability in Practice

The final assignment was designed to ensure that competitors could connect theoretical knowledge with practical thinking about a specific region in which their business would operate. Students assumed the role of exhibitors at a local entrepreneurship trade fair, where they needed to attract visitors in a limited amount of time and present their business idea clearly, understandably, and convincingly.

The goal was to demonstrate that sustainability is not merely an abstract concept but can take on a concrete and tangible form—as part of a product or service, customer communication, and the overall business story. Based on their own research from the first round of the competition, the teams designed concepts that:

reflected public perceptions of sustainability in the given region,
were realistic and meaningful in a regional context,
had the potential to appeal to both local residents and visitors,
were able to communicate their sustainability clearly, understandably, and persuasively.

Offline as a Tradition, the Trade Fair as an Innovation

One of the defining features of the Business Point competition is its long-standing offline format, in which competitors are not allowed to use any online tools during the final. This approach, which has become a tradition of the competition, emphasizes teamwork, creativity, decision-making under pressure, and working with limited resources.

A novelty of this year’s edition was the presentation of projects in the form of trade fair booths. Unlike previous years, finalists did not work in separate rooms but in a shared space, which further enhanced the dynamics of the competition, mutual inspiration, and an authentic “trade fair” atmosphere. In addition to traditional tasks such as describing the business idea, setting up communication tools, and preparing a promotional leaflet, teams also had to design and implement their own booth.

Despite the limited time and the absence of online support, all outputs were of very high quality, well thought-out, and creative.

Evaluation and Winners

On the second competition day, individual teams were evaluated directly at their exhibition booths. Each team was assessed by six independent evaluators, including representatives from business practice, academic staff of the Faculty of Business and Management, as well as doctoral and master’s students. The jury faced a challenging task, as the overall level of the competition projects was exceptionally high.

Winning Teams of Business Point 2026

Based on the evaluation, three winning teams were selected:

GOAci – Gymnázium a Obchodní akademie Orlová (Orlová Grammar and Business School)
TK TEAM – Obchodní akademie ELDO Brno (ELDO Brno Business School)
KotlaSharks – Obchodní akademie a Vyšší odborná škola Brno, Kotlářská (Brno Kotlářská Business School and Higher Vocational School)

Bonus for the winners: Members of the winning teams may be admitted to the Faculty of Business and Management at Brno University of Technology without taking an entrance examination, representing significant support for their further academic and professional development.

The Business Point competition has long demonstrated how a faculty can meaningfully work with high school students, develop their talent, and introduce them to the university environment as well as real business challenges. At the same time, it naturally connects innovation, entrepreneurship, and responsibility toward the environment and regions—areas that form the core pillars of the strategic direction of the Faculty of Business and Management at Brno University of Technology.

We warmly congratulate the winners, and all finalists deserve great respect for their commitment, creativity, and openness to new challenges. Our thanks go to all competition teams, their teachers, and participating schools; students of the Faculty of Business and Management; members of the evaluation committee; faculty colleagues; the entire Business Point organizing team, which has long been involved in preparing and running the competition; as well as the long-term partner of the competition, Centropen CZ, which provides working tools and small gifts for the competitors.

Author: Pavel Mráček