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Accenture Innovation Challenge

An opportunity for college students across the U.S. to help a nonprofit organization solve a business challenge. We are no longer accepting applications for the 2024 challenge.

Our 2024 Partner: National Park Foundation

Making a positive impact on society, gaining hands-on consulting experience, networking with our leaders, and potentially land an internship are just a few of the perks of the Accenture Innovation Challenge.

 

This year, Accenture is partnering with the National Park Foundation. As the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service (NPS), the National Park Foundation (NPF) raises private funding to protect and preserve national parks and connect everyone to America’s most special places.

 

Undergraduate students from across the country will have the opportunity to help the National Park Foundation overcome one of its current business challenges.

About the challenge

The Accenture Innovation Challenge (AIC) is a case competition that serves as one of Accenture’s signature recruiting channels across all our target campuses. Last year, more than 600 undergraduates applied to participate in the Innovation Challenge, representing over 60 campuses and diversity partner organizations.

Accenture partners with a new nonprofit partner each year to identify a real-world pressing issue, structure a case challenge, and facilitate a competition for student teams to present dynamic solutions to address the non-profit partner’s pressing issue.

Details about the three rounds of competition, qualifications for participation, and Challenge Rules are included below.

1

Round 1 – Successful applicants are assigned to a team of up to four students, are paired with an Accenture consultant coach, and given one week to prepare a solution to the case question. Three teams from each first round event advance to the semi-finals.

2

Round 2 – Teams refine their solution over 1 week and submit a revised, written presentation for Accenture judges to review. Four finalist teams are selected to advance.

3

Round 3 – In this final round event, four teams are invited to travel to present their solution live to a panel of judges comprised of Accenture and National Park Foundation. The winning team is offered a Summer 2024 internship and a cash prize!

The Accenture U.S. Innovation Challenge is open to legal United States residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico who are 18 years of age or older (19 for residents of AL and NE) at the time of entry and are enrolled full time in a four-year degree undergraduate program, authorized to work in the United States, and will receive an undergraduate Bachelors of Arts or Bachelors of Science upon graduation in December 2024 – May 2027.

 

Check out the Official Accenture Innovation Challenge Rules to learn more.

Congrats to our 2023 winners!

Student teams developed proposals to help the Smithsonian increase and expand engagement with rural communities. We’re pleased to announce that the undergraduate team of students—Austin Tran, Eva Moughan, Nico Motta, and Sean Bishop—from Rice University in Houston, Texas won the 2023 Accenture Innovation Challenge.

The winning team’s solution, “Rural Routes,” proposed a mobile bus exhibit to facilitate two-way learning and creativity. The proposed, inaugural route would visit six rural communities over 3-months; build connections with local institutions; prompt creativity, collecting interviews and art; and enable visitors to interact digitally with other communities’ creative contributions.

The “Rural Routes” tour would culminate at a Smithsonian Museum with an immersive VR exhibit allowing D.C. visitors to follow the bus’s journey and facilitate two-way knowledge dissemination and connection to rural America.

Doing well by doing good: example of impact

At Accenture, we believe it is our responsibility to address some of today's most pressing societal needs with innovation and technology at the forefront. Our past challenges with Covenant House and the Challenged Athletes Foundation are examples of the impact and connections built each year through the Accenture Innovation Challenge.

Accenture Innovation Challenge 2021 | Covenant House

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