2016-1 Challenges 

Summaries only. Only registered participants have access to complete challenge descriptions.

● Forcier Consulting, USA/Egypt/Somalia/Sudan/South Sudan
Services: Development program effectiveness assessment
Challenge: Business expansion to new locations in Africa, market research.
Forcier is already one of the biggest research companies operating in Africa and working with governmental and non-governmental development agencies such as the US Government, UNICEF, World Bank, Gallup Inc., UNESCO, Red Cross, and others. Although it already operates in more countries than most of its competitors, Forcier still covers only several of many African countries. It seeks help with developing a strategy for expanding into new markets, including suggestions for best ways to hire researchers in those markets, estimates for operating costs, review of cultural and legal challenges of conducting research in those countries.
Prize: Standard X-Culture Winner $1,000 cash prize; plus the competition participants who can prove their concept effectiveness by getting a franchising contract for Forcier in a new market, as per the proposed strategy, will receive an after-market commission of 1% of the contract value and an offer of a position at the company commensurable with the competition winner’s qualifications and interests.

● Innospark, Lithuania
Product: Educational toys for children
Challenge: New market expansion, new product features, marketing and promotion strategy for the new market. The company is doing well in its domestic market and is ready to expand into new markets. It is seeking help with developing a market expansion strategy, including promising market identification, entry mode, cost-effective product promotion and marketing, and staffing decisions.
Prize: Standard X-Culture Winner $1,000 cash prize, plus the competition participants who can prove their market expansion strategy concept effectiveness by getting a contract in the new market, as per their proposed strategy, will receive after-market commission commensurable with 20% of the contract value and prospects of joining the Innospark team.

● Me Late Chocolate, Colombia
Product: Chocolate
Challenge: New market expansion, new product features, marketing and promotion strategy for the new market. The company is doing well in its domestic market and is ready to expand into new markets. It is seeking help with developing a market expansion strategy, including promising market identification, entry mode, cost-effective product promotion and marketing, and staffing decisions.
Prize: Standard X-Culture Winner $1,000 cash prize, plus the competition participants who can prove their market expansion strategy concept effectiveness by getting a contract in the new market, as per their proposed strategy, will receive after-market commission commensurable with 20% of the contract value and prospects of joining the Me Late Chocolate team.

● Polaris Industries, USA/India
Product: ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles, electric utility vehicles.
Challenge: New market expansion, new product features, marketing and promotion strategy for the new market. The company is doing well in its domestic market and is ready to expand into new markets. It is seeking help with developing a market expansion strategy, including promising market identification, entry mode, cost-effective product promotion and marketing, and staffing decisions.
Prize: Standard X-Culture Winner $1,000 cash prize, plus the competition participants who can prove their market expansion strategy concept effectiveness by getting a contract in the new market, as per their proposed strategy, will receive after-market commission commensurable with 20% of the contract value and prospects of joining the Polaris team.

● Willowy, USA – PDF Instructions
Product: Silk breastfeeding covers
Challenge: New market expansion plan.
The company is doing well in its domestic market and is ready to expand into new markets. It is seeking help with developing a market expansion strategy, including identification of new promising markets, optimal market entry mode, cost-effective product promotion and marketing, and staffing decisions.
Prize: Standard X-Culture Winner $1,000 cash prize, plus the competition participants who can prove their concept effectiveness by finding a distributor in the proposed new market, as per their proposed strategy, will receive after-market commission commensurable with 15% of the contract value and prospects of joining the Willowy team.

● Mobius SLIP, USA  – PDF Instructions
Product: Education enhancement technologies, peer-to-peer evaluation systems
Challenge: New market expansion, new product features and functionality.
The company is doing well in its domestic market and is ready to expand into new markets. It is seeking help with developing a market expansion strategy, including promising market identification, entry mode, cost-effective product promotion and marketing, and staffing decisions. It also welcomes suggestions for new products and improvement of the existing Mobius SLIP platform.
Prize: Standard X-Culture Winner $1,000 cash prize, plus the competition participants who can prove their concept effectiveness by getting a contract in the proposed new market, as per their proposed strategy, will receive after-market commission commensurable with 10% of the contract value and prospects of joining the Mobius SLIP team.