Registration deadline is June 20. Register now!
Join the Summer Sustainability Challenge
Gain real-world experience by consulting an Energy Cooperation on how to become more professional, and accelerate the energy transition.
In short
👉 5 teams of around 3-4 students
👉 5 challenges from Energy Cooperations
👉 5 days from July 8 till 12 (9am-5pm)
👉 €2500,- for the winning team
We know that the shift from student life to starting your career is not always easy. That is why we collaborate with real-world organisations to bridge the gap between education and practice.
As companies are more and more focused on both education AND experience, these challenges are a great opportunity to gain experience, build your CV, grow your network, and kickstart your career.
And did we already mention your team can win €2500,-?
You will be coached by industry experts, and will work in teams of 3 or 4 ambitious students.
Participation is free of charge! You will work on the challenge on a daily basis (July 8-12, from 9am-5pm).
We will arrange an office for you at the REC Impact Center (UvA Roeterseiland)
The benefits in a nutshell
- Chance to win €2500,- with your team.
- Online consultancy training program + certificate.
- Inspiring guest talks on sustainability.
- Boost your resume.
Through Master Challenge,
these students found their next career opportunity
Kasper Moes
“I have signed an employment contract with Filuet - the company I did the business challenge for during International Entrepreneurship. Really made the most out of this challenge!”
Michal Weiss
"Through Master Challenge I got in contact with GoSpooky. I worked on one of their challenges and I immediately liked both the product as well as the company. When they offered me to join their team, I didn't think twice to accept the offer."
Thomas Visser
"I'm very excited to start my internship at Post NL. Thanks to Master Challenge I got this opportunity, which will be a great start of my career."
You will be working on a challenge for an Energy Cooperation
An energy cooperation is a group of residents and/or entrepreneurs who want to make their city or village more sustainable together. They set up a cooperation for this purpose. They, for example, generate their own sustainable energy, implement a heating network, or work with the neighbourhood on energy savings.
Energy cooperations play a key role in making our energy supply more sustainable. With new innovations and decentralized solutions, they stimulate sustainable and local energy consumption. Despite the rapid emergence and growth of cooperations in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, we see that many initiatives encounter the same problems, including the lack of manpower. The cooperations are urgently looking for additional support.
About the Challenges
The main aim of the challenges is to professionalize the Energy Cooperations. Those cooperations lack sufficient manpower to grow and professionalize in order to accelerate the energy transition. They need your help on topics such as communication, digitalisation, improving efficiency, supply chain optimisation, legal issues, stakeholder management, etc.
About the Challenges
The main aim of the challenges is to professionalize the Energy Cooperations. Those cooperations lack sufficient manpower to grow and professionalize in order to accelerate the energy transition. They need your help on topics such as communication, digitalisation, improving efficiency, supply chain optimisation, legal issues, stakeholder management, etc.
Ready to help out the Energy Cooperations to accelerate the energy transition?
By doing so you get the chance to boost your resume, gain relevant skills, and have a chance to win €2500,- with your team.
The program in a nutshell
- Registration deadline: June 20 at 6pm
- Team formation and matching phase: June 21 - June 22
- Kick off between team and challenge owner: July 3
- Working on the challenge: July 8-12 (6-8 hours a day)
- Final presentation + announcing winning team: July 12 afternoon
The process in 4 steps
Step 1: Register to explore the challenges
Just let us know whether you're considering joining this program by filling out the form on this page. You can explore the challenges and complete your registration in case you decide to participate.
Step 2: Officially apply for the program
If you really want to participate, you can officially apply by completing your registration on the platform. You apply individually but you can mention the names of other applying students you want to be in a team with. We will use that input when forming teams.
Step 3: Create your team and get matched to a challenge
When you are admitted to the program, we will facilitate the team formation process and we will ask your team to rank the challenges that you would like to work on. We will then match the teams to the challenges.
Step 4: Work on the project and receive training and coaching.
After the Kick-off day you will start working on the challenge. We will coach you during the process through coaching sessions. You will also have contact moments with a representative from the organisation. You will also follow the online consultancy training. You will end with a final presentation, where you share your main findings and the recommendations.
Register for the Summer Sustainability Challenge
Application Deadline = June 20
Limited spots available.
Participation is free of charge. And you get the chance to win €2500,- with your team. 3-4 students per team, 5 teams in total.
Please note: We welcome all 3rd year bachelor, master students, and recent graduates to apply.
Due to the nature of the challenges (they are Dutch focussed) we have a slight preference for students that also speak Dutch.
Organized by:
Got questions?
How does such a program look like?
Each program consists of the following parts: 1) Data Collection, 2) Data Analysis, 3) Key findings & Recommendations. The scope of the analysis depends on the project. The final report is presented in the form of slides, where you effectively convey the key findings of the research.
How much time are students expected to work on a challenge?
In general, we ask you to spend between 6-8 hours a day on the challenge. This challenge lasts 1 week. From July 8 till 12.
Is participation really free?
Yes, it is. We will teach you the consulting skills required to deliver strong value to the companies. This challenge is funded by our sponsors.
Who can join this program?
Any 3rd year bachelor student, master student, and recent graduates can apply. We're looking for motivated and ambitious students, from any study background, who want to help make an impact. Due to the nature of the challenges, we have a slight preference for students who also speak Dutch.
How does the matching process between the student teams and the challenges work?
We will show you a list of all available challenges, and then ask you for your motivation and your preferences. We will then use that to form the teams and to match the students to the challenges.
What kind of organisations are submitting these challenges?
In this program, the challenge owners are the energy cooperations.
How large are the teams?
Teams will consist of 3-4 members.
Can I submit to the program without a team?
Yes, that is no problem. We will organize a team formation phase, before the start of the challenge.
Are the team coaching sessions held offline or online?
Ideally they are held offline but if needed we move online.
What are the deliverables to the organisation?
The deliverables are a presentation and a report. This contains your analysis, the key findings, the recommendations and an implementation plan.
Will I receive a certification upon completion?
Yes, upon completion of the program we will send you a certification. You can add this to your LinkedIn profile to showcase your experience and boost your employability.
What is the next step?
After indicating your interest by filling out the form on this page you can explore the challenges. If you want to officially apply, you can complete your registration on the platform.