Chance to Win £50,000 and a Career Opportunity at BAT at the 2021 Battle of Minds Competition

The British American Tobacco (BAT) announced the 2021 Battle of Minds competition for university students with the aim of solving environmental and social challenges.

Battle of Minds started its journey as a talent recruitment platform back in 2004 with four Bangladeshi universities. Today it is a global, life-changing internship competition that gives driven, resilient, and ambitious students the opportunity to show how their innovative ideas can solve real-world problems and change the future of the business.

Challenges:

• Culture challenge:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many office-based roles have had to be performed from home. Working from home has had many unintended consequences – reduced emissions from commuting and printing but increased emissions from heating homes. And it has arguably been detrimental to workplace culture. Can you create a product that promotes workplace culture in a working-from-home setting, and builds on employees’ commitment to reducing their environmental impact?

• Farming challenge

As the population is set to increase to 10 billion by 2050, we must increase agricultural yields and enhance farmer livelihoods, whilst balancing the threats posed by over-farming. How might we increase food security, whilst ensuring environmental benefits are achieved?

• Waste challenge

Despite the availability of recyclable packaging and materials, many consumers are not recycling their waste, meaning it ends up in mainstream waste flows, destined for landfill or incineration. How could BAT encourage its consumers to dispose of their waste appropriately?

• Energy challenge

Many people in developing countries lack access to energy sources that are both sustainable and affordable. How could we leverage sustainable energy sources to generate positive social impacts?

Local winners:

• Have the chance to win prizes – ranging from monetary recognition to employment opportunities at BAT, depending on your country’s offering.

Global winning team:

• Receive up to £50,000 as a non-conditional investment in your idea, the support needed to get the idea up and running, and potentially a place on the accelerator program for start-ups.

Two runners-up teams:

• Receive up to £25,000 as a non-conditional investment, along with support, also potentially landing a place on the accelerator program for start-ups.

You can join the competition if:

• You’re already part of a team, or you can form a team of two to four people.
• You and your team member(s) are current university students studying for a bachelor’s degree or have graduated within the past five years.
• You and all your team members are based in one of the eligible countries.

The competition takes place in two rounds:

1. Local round: If you make it through the screening, you’ll be invited to join the local round to pitch your idea.
2. Global round: If you’re one of the local winners, you’ll be invited to the virtual Global Finals!

About BAT:

British American Tobacco (BAT) is one of the world’s leading multinational companies, selling more than 200 brands in over 200 markets. BAT makes the cigarettes chosen by around one in eight of the world’s one billion adult smokers and is a market leader in more than 55 countries. 

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