MILE0
Sydney Schools Business Competition · 2027
Every business mind starts at mile zero.
A free, staged business case competition for students from any NSW secondary school. No finance background needed. Just clear thinking, good evidence and the nerve to defend your decision.
Real decisions, not trivia.
You advise a company with a genuine problem. Every mile releases new information and asks you to commit to a choice.
Built for beginners.
Every business term is explained the first time it appears. What wins is reasoning, not jargon.
Judged on your thinking.
Submissions are coded so markers never see your school. Same case, same rubric, same start line for everyone.
The 2027 case
Eight million unsold tags. Losing value every month.
It's December 2026. A Sydney company has a warehouse full of stock nobody ordered, and a board with A$12 million and one question: what now? Sell cheap, build a brand, or turn a problem into a real business? Your team decides.
See the route“We didn't acquire eight million microchips. We acquired eight million decisions about where this company goes next.”
The route
Five weeks. Four miles. One final.
New information arrives in stages. Each stage, each mile, asks for a new decision and a new deliverable.
-
Briefing Check
A ten-minute check that you've read the Opening Case. Not scored. It just makes sure nobody starts behind.
1–2 Feb -
MILE1
Where to Play
Market data, customer interviews and a survey. Decide which markets to enter, and which to walk away from.
Submit: decision worksheet · 150–250 word memo · one evidence calculation
3–10 Feb -
MILE2
Making It Pay
Three business models, a divided board and a A$12 million budget. Build a three-year plan and stress-test it.
Submit: three-year plan · 150–250 word memo · 2–3 minute pitch, every member speaks
11–17 Feb -
GATE✓
School nominations
Each school puts forward one team to continue.
21 Feb -
MILE3
Project Kestrel
A surprise offer lands on the CEO's desk with a 48-hour deadline. Accept, reject or negotiate.
Submit: response memo up to 400 words · plan changes · one-page term sheet
22–28 Feb -
FINAL★
Live Final at UNSW
The top ten teams present for up to seven minutes, take five minutes of judges' questions, then respond live to news they haven't seen.
4 Mar
Who can enter
Any school. Any background.
- Students at any NSW secondary school
- Teams of three to four from the same school
- Up to three teams per school
- A teacher at your school who knows you're taking part
- Free. No paid software or databases needed.
How you're judged
Five criteria, every stage.
| Problem framing | Did you find the real problem? |
|---|---|
| Evidence and analysis | Did you read the evidence correctly and use it? |
| Feasibility and numbers | Could the company do this, and do the numbers add up? |
| Recommendation and trade-offs | Did you make a clear call and admit what it costs? |
| Communication | Is it clear, concise and persuasive? |
Use AI for research and editing, then declare it. The analysis must be yours, and any member may be asked to explain any number. Sponsors have no say in results.
Programs
The competition is where we start.
Live · 2027
SSBC
Our flagship. A staged business case for teams from any NSW school, ending in a live final at UNSW.
Coming 2027
Mile Zero Network
For student business societies: shared resources, joint events, and a Starter Toolkit that helps schools without a society start one.
Coming soon
Learn
Short lessons you can finish in 10–20 minutes: how a business makes money, reading an income statement, debt versus equity.
Why "Mile Zero"?
Where everything is measured from.
In Macquarie Place, a short walk from Circular Quay, stands an obelisk from 1818. Road distances in the colony were measured from it. It is Sydney's mile zero: the point everything else is counted from.
We think financial confidence works the same way. Where you start shapes everything after it. So we start everyone in the same place.
Why the ibis?
Sydney calls it the bin chicken. We call it underestimated. It adapted when its wetlands dried up, learned to eat cane toads safely and passed the trick on, and never flies alone. Egyptians made it the symbol of knowledge. Judge it by its work, not its nickname.
What we stand for
Five values.
- Start at zero.Same start line for everyone.
- Pull up a chair.There's always room for one more. Bring a friend, find your people.
- Source it or drop it.Be curious enough to check.
- Play the long game.Think in years, because good decisions compound.
- Leave the ladder down.Climb, then help the next person up.
Questions
Before you sign up.
Do we need to know finance?
No. Terms are explained the first time they appear, and the case gives you every number you need.
How much time does it take?
A few hours per mile, spread across a week. Mile 0 takes ten minutes.
Can Year 9 and 10 students enter?
Yes. Any secondary student in NSW can enter.
Our school doesn't have a business society. Can we still enter?
Yes. You only need a teacher who knows you're taking part.
Can we use AI tools?
For research and editing, yes, as long as you declare it. The main analysis and decisions must be your team's own.
What are the prizes?
To be announced.
Get involved
Pull up a chair.
Students
Form a team of three to four and register before 2 February. Or join as an ambassador and help run next year's competition.
Register a teamTeachers
Entry is free. We'll send a one-page overview and a poster for your noticeboard.
Request the teacher packBusiness societies
Join the Mile Zero Network for shared resources and events, and help bring new schools in.
Join the networkPartners
Help as case reviewers, judges, mentors or venue hosts. Partners never influence judging.
Partner with us
Registrations close 2 February 2027
Three to four students. One school. Five weeks.
Get a team together and take the first step.
Register your team