The Battle

The theme of the 2021 edition was all about starting fresh after the pandemic, a green reset so to speak. The battle itself was a combination of in-person and online meetings, providing participants with the opportunity to network and engage with one another while also adhering to COVID regulations.

First Training Day

The fifth edition of the SBB started with a workshop on implementing design thinking in Miro, which was provided by our partners at StudioWhy. Our participants were then introduced to the case study they would be working on during the battle and had some time to brainstorm with their respective teams. The program continued with a coaching session provided by Suit-Case, which focused on design thinking and guided the participants in their approach to the case study. To celebrate a successful day full of learning and brainstorming, the participants were invited to join the SBB board for a pizza party at VIP Leiden!

Second Training Day

On the second training day, the participants had the chance to learn a bit more about the origin of the SBB and get to know one of our founders, Friso Postma. They also received a pitching workshop by Lennart van Gameren, and then had the opportunity to implement their newfound knowledge during individual group work sessions. It was amazing to see how much the teams accomplished within just two days.

The Finale

The eagerly awaited finale was held in-person at PLNT, in Leiden. After a warm welcome from the Chair and the introduction of the jury members, it was time for the final pitches. Save to say, everyone was immensely impressed with the innovative solutions our participants came up with. Team Turquoise won over the jury with their concept for a circular restaurant, particularly focusing on community engagement. The evening was concluded with a celebratory borrel on the rooftop terrace at PLNT.

Fenna Plaisier

Head of Communications at LDE Centre for Sustainability

Besides her work for the Centre for Sustainability, Fenna also hosts an award winning podcasts on bringing science to the public: Bringing Sustainability out of the Ivory Tower

Marcel Beukeboom

Climate Envoy for the Netherlands

Read one of Marcel’s blog posts at OneWorld or listen to his Earth Day message!

Laura Jungmann

Lead Sustainability at Albert Heijn

Find out more in Albert Heijn’s most recent sustainability report.

Joost Wouters

Founder & SeaEO at The Seaweed Company

Will seaweed provide us with the answers we’ve been looking for? Read more about it here.

Joop Joost Hietbrink

Associate Partner at Sustainalize

Sustainalize creates impact by collaborating with companies such as Bol.com and Fairphone

The Battle

Another year another SBB! The 2019 edition was all about ensuring and furthering the quality of the experience for both students and companies.

The third SBB edition started with the kick-off at the most sustainable beach house of Scheveningen in the Hague, the Buena Vista beach club, where the participants had the chance to listen to two inspirational speakers: from the Research and Development department of the Plastic Soup Foundation, Anna van der Vliet and from the CSR director of Volker Wessels, Lars van der Meulen. Followed by the talks, the students were given a facilitation workshop by the Mischief Makers where the expectations and strategies of the new teams were set. The night continued with a delicious dinner cooked by the Conscious Kitchen at the Jorplace hostel, where the participants had their overnight stay. There was an evening social programme for those interested nevertheless some of the participants opted for an early night as their first training day was early in the morning!

First training day

The first training day took place at PLNT in Leiden, where the participants had the first opportunity to meet their companies and coaches. Alongside the new acquaintances, the participants received their first of many workshops facilitated by the Open Up Academy about the problem definition of their case. A lot of information and exchange of opinions took place, resulting in possibly more questions than answers at this point, however the students were on the right track to finding the best solution to their case!

Company visit and second training day

Between the first and second training day the participants visited the company’s headquarters, where they had the opportunity to further validate their understanding of the case. The visit served as a stepping stone for the second training day at Wijnhaven in the Hague, where students extended their knowledge about the Business Model Canvas. The Centre for Sustainability and Arjang Tajbakhsh from Metabollic also shared their knowledge in the field of sustainability and consultancy.

Semi-finals

One week later, the moment of truth. Before the companies decided on the finalist the participants received a pitch workshop at Rabobank Leiden, to ensure that they were fully prepared for the semi-finals. Five finalists were selected, which had the golden opportunity to further their pitching skills in a private workshop with Berenschot in Utrecht given by expert consultants from the organization.

Finals

The final competition took place at X-TU Delft, where the participants showcased their final solutions. This time it was up to the experts in the independent jury panel and the public to decide which business case was the most sustainable, innovative and implementable. The public prize was won by the Delft Municipality team and the jury prize was awarded to the Museum of Antiquities. The evening ended on a very positive note with a celebratory borrel to wrap up the 2019 edition.

OUR BUSINESS CASES

THE BATTLE

It all began in September 2017, with a couple of students pitching their crazy idea at the inauguration of the Green Office in Leiden. Thanks to their enthusiasm and ambition, the project soon became a reality, and the SBB’s first edition was launched in June 2017.

This concept arose during a brain-storming session, bringing together the founders of the SBB (currently the Foundation of the SBB), the Green Office, the Municipality of Leiden, Rabobank, and several student associations. With the input of all parties, the Sustainable Business Battle was developed. By the time of the Kick-off, on May 13th 2017, five organizations had joined the battle and presented a case: Leiden University and the Municipality of Leiden combined, Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, Renewi, Duwo Student Housing and Hoogheemraadschap Rijnland. Thirty passionate and eager students participated in the battle that year.

The battle launched, the first training day unfolded in the Hague, providing participants with inspiring lectures on sustainability and workshops tackling entrepreneurship. Rabobank and along with Frisse Kijkers introduced students to the art of design thinking and business models.

A week later, the teams confronted the judges and pitched their business idea during the semi-finals at Rabobank’s headquarters in Leiden. The participating firms selected their finalists, which were then invited by the Boston Consultancy Group for further training in Amsterdam.

The final took place on June 23rd. It was opened by the then Dutch Minister of Environment and Infrastructure, M. Schultz van Haegen, as a key-note speaker. Nervous and hopeful finalists had the opportunity to pitch their idea to a large audience and a panel of judges. After much debate due to the incredible quality of the pitches, the team of Hoogheemraadschap Rijnland won the first edition of the SBB.

A REAL SUCCESS

The success of the first edition of the SBB did not go unnoticed. Later that year the SBB received the Van Berge Prize for the best initiative promoting the relationship between Dutch and international students. On top of that the SBB was also awarded the University Green Trophy, and declared “best student initiative engaging with sustainability”.

the sbb in the news

Leiden University - Leiden University - Center for Sustainability