Academic competitions and business plans

a new approach in teaching entrepreneurship

Abstract

The business plan has become a key tool in entrepreneurship education, serving both pedagogical and assessment purposes. In academic settings, business plan competitions play a relevant role by fostering the simulation and validation of student projects. This article analyses their evolution, focusing on changes in plan structure, evaluation criteria, and participant profiles. The study is based on an integrative literature review grounded in authors from the fields of management and business education. The findings indicate increasing standardisation of business plan formats and the rise of more agile, practice-oriented models. Although still relevant, business plans in academic contexts are now being used within more flexible and experiential approaches to teaching entrepreneurship.