The Business plan Project involves students in the development of an actual business plan. Students will have to propose a new service or good to be marketed for which they will provide a detailed analysis of the financial, marketing and societal (economic transition aspects) aspects of launching the activity in question.
The analysis can be done either for an existing or a new organisation. If the project is based on an existing organisation, real data will have to be collected (e.g. accounting data). On the other hand, for new organisations, the students will have to start from a simplified market study.
Social business models will also be taught as part of this project and their implications for organisation, financing, etc. Students will be able to choose either to focus on traditional business models or on alternative business models. In all cases, a reflection on the societal impact of the proposed activities should be carried out (e.g. employment, pollution, sustainability, etc.).
The main objective of this activity is to get students to decompartmentalise their knowledge of the different managementrelated subjects in their programme. To this end, they produce a business plan that draws on skills related to accounting and marketing, among others. The document written should respect the standards usually followed by business plans used in the economic world. In order to reinforce the writing techniques in English, an "executive summary" accompanying the document will be written in English. Finally, the oral defence of the work is done in French, in front of a jury.
As regards the disciplinary aspects, the activity is mainly based on the courses of "Financial and Analytical Accounting", "Marketing Management" as well as hours specifically dedicated to "Economic Transition" issues. The activity will also focus on cross-curricular skills such as self-knowledge (in relation to collaborative work), writing techniques necessary for the production of a report (structure, bibliographical references, etc.) but also presentation techniques (speaking in front of a large audience, group dynamics during the presentation, etc.). The students will be accompanied in the progression of their mastery of these skills through specific devices (role-playing, role-playing, etc.). As the students' work must include a written part in English (executive summary), a specific support for writing in this language is provided.
The course is based on: 1- Oral presentations, supported by PowerPoint slides made available to students on Webcampus 2- Exercises, which develop in line with the material covered in the course 3- Coaching sessions 4- Collaborative working sessions
Attendance at coaching sessions and collaborative work meetings is mandatory. After three unexcused absences, the student will be summoned and may be penalized by one point per unexcused absence on their final grade. Five unexcused absences, or a demonstrated lack of participation in group work, will lead to the student’s exclusion from their group and, consequently, to failure of the course unit with no opportunity for a second session.
The assessment of the acquisition of disciplinary skills and English proficiency will be based on the written report produced by the students (the business plan) as well as their oral defense. During the oral defense, each student must be able to answer questions on any part of the course.
With regard to transversal skills, these will be assessed through one or more assignments, the instructions for which will be provided at the beginning of the semester.
The final grade is a weighted average of the grades obtained for each part of the business plan, including the assignments related to transversal skills. Although the bulk of the work is produced collectively within the group, some components are individual, and therefore the final grade is awarded individually. In addition, the final grade includes any penalties for unexcused absences (one point deducted per unexcused absence).
In the event of a failing grade in one or more components, the lowest grade becomes overriding (i.e. the final grade = the lowest grade among the assessed components). In such cases, students will be required to revise the parts deemed insufficient for the second session (grades for the other components and penalties for unexcused absences will be retained). The second-session assessment is based solely on the revised written work.
If a student is excluded from their group (due to five unexcused absences or objectively demonstrated lack of participation in group work), this results in automatic failure of the course unit, with no opportunity for a second session.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Economics and Management | Standard | 0 | 10 | |
| Bachelor in Economics and Management | Standard | 2 | 10 |