Shark Tank: The Essex MBA, Colombia Edition

The winner of Shark Tank: The Essex MBA Colombia edition will be considered for a 100% scholarship for the full-time Essex MBA programme for October 2020 entry. Your fees will be 100% paid by the University of Essex.*

Even if you’re not the winner, you may still receive a scholarship offer as your attendance at the event will act as your MBA admissions interview, meaning by taking part you will automatically be considered for the MBA Dean’s Award.

You will have the opportunity to make an impression on the Director of the Essex MBA, Professor Nicolas Forsans, and receive career advice and advice on your own business ideas.

Our sharks would like to hear your business idea. Following the format of the TV show Shark Tank you’ll deliver a short pitch based on a business idea.

At the start of their pitch each candidate will be asked to summarise their business idea in the form of a one minute elevator pitch. You’ll then spend around five minutes expanding your ideas by presenting your idea using the ‘business canvas’ template we’ll supply. Finally our sharks will then have a few minutes to ask you questions. Check back soon as we’ll be updating this page with more detailed instructions and top tips (these will also be sent by email to registered candidates).

You should aim to demonstrate the passion, energy and positivity that will make you feel at home as part of the Essex MBA. Remember, it’s more about you as an individual and potential MBA candidate than the actual product, service or other business you are pitching. 

Outside of the pitch you’ll also have the opportunity to meet the Head of Marketing for Essex Business School where you can find out everything you need to know about the Essex MBA and studying at Essex Business School (EBS).

Our sharks would love to see you pitch an idea; remember it doesn’t need to be a polished business plan or a completely unique idea.

You could pitch about anything! However, if you definitely don’t want to pitch then you are still very welcome to attend the event, please bring a copy of your CV and be ready to chat to us about your reasons for wanting to study the Essex MBA and your previous work and study experiences.

If time allows you can meet with our sharks outside of the pitches.

The pitch time slots are reserved for those who are considering studying an MBA in the UK, with the winning pitch being considered for a fully funded place on the course starting in 2020.

If this isn’t for you then although you won’t be able to pitch you’ll still be very welcome to come along to the event. You can watch a presentation to find out more about the MBA and other management masters programmes at Essex Business School (EBS), as well as meet the MBA Director and Head of Marketing for Essex Business School to ask any questions you may have find out everything you need to know about studying at Essex.

If you’re holding an offer for any undergraduate or postgraduate course at Essex Business School then we’d still love to meet you while we’re in Bogota.

Come along to the event to meet us, find out more about your course and ask us your burning questions. You won’t need to deliver a pitch or presentation.

• The winning pitch will be decided by the panel at the event, whose decision is final.
• The candidate who presented the winning pitch will be invited to apply for The Essex MBA if they have not done so already. This is a one year programme to be taught full-time, on campus at University of Essex, United Kingdom. The candidate will have to meet all standard entry requirements in order to be offered a place on the programme.
• Standard entry requirements for the programme include an expectation to have at least three years of relevant, professional work experience, post-graduation, at the time of application. Undergraduate degree requirements and English language requirements also apply. Find out more about the entry criteria.
• The winning candidate must also meet the requirements of the UKCISA in order to have the right to study in the UK.
• If the winning candidate meets the requirements above and receives an offer to study on the course, then they will also be offered The Essex MBA Dean’s Award. This will pay for 100% of the course fee, however all other costs of study will be the responsibility of the candidate.
• The candidate must accept their offer and enrol in the October 2020 intake to be eligible for The Essex MBA Dean’s Award.
• All standard terms and conditions of The Essex MBA Dean’s Award will also apply. Find out more about The Essex MBA Dean's Award. 
• Upon request, other candidates at the event may also be considered for entry to the programme and for The Essex MBA Dean’s Award. This includes those who chose not to pitch but still attended the event. The offer and award given to such candidate may be the same or different to the winning candidate.
• The University of Essex reserves the right to not issue the prize if no candidate at the event is deemed suitable.