Whether you’re a multinational corporation, an innovative startup, or a mission-driven nonprofit, we welcome applications from a wide range of organizations across all industries. Our student teams are ready to dive into meaningful, strategic projects in fields from healthcare to technology and beyond. To ensure a successful partnership, there are a few key criteria to consider.
Who Do We Partner With?
Our student teams have partnered with a wide variety of organizations, including multinational corporations, startups, and nonprofits, both in the US and internationally. FCCP clients come from diverse industries such as healthcare, energy, technology, social impact, sports, media, and entertainment, to name a few. Our partners align with Fuqua’s Centers (CASE, EDGE, HSM, I&E) reflecting our students’ interests.
Is My Organization the Right Size?
Ideal partners for the FCCP program are typically organizations that have been in operation for at least three years, have 25 or more full-time employees, and have a revenue or operating budget of at least $1 million USD. Clients must be able to support a team of students dedicating over 400 hours to the project, be available for weekly meetings, and not be in such an early stage that frequent changes in business needs could alter project priorities.
Note: Companies that are pre-revenue or need a business plan are generally not suitable for this program. However, we can be flexible with size requirements for VC-backed startups if they have a dedicated client team. For smaller organizations, we offer the Mentored Study program, where one MBA student works on a smaller project with an organization over a semester.
What Makes a Good Project for FCCP?
A good FCCP project should address a real and significant business challenge for which no solution currently exists. Projects are often centered around a business challenge that is strategic or operational in nature. The business challenge should be important, but not urgent. Projects should include time for student teams to collaboratively define the project scope, conduct research or analysis, and present their findings and recommendations at the midpoint and final presentations.
What’s Expected of You?
A Mentorship Mindset
We seek client partners who understand that this is a learning experience for students, as well as a consulting project. The best experiences and results come from clients who are supportive, responsive, and available to regularly meet with students, communicate actively, and provide access to internal resources.
Dedicated and Engaged Project Leads and a Senior Champion
Your organization should assign individuals to the following roles:
- Senior Champion: Ensures the project is consequential to the organization, communicates with key stakeholders (such as board members, investors, other business unit leaders) impacted by the project or who influence its implementation success. The Senior Champion attends several key milestone meetings.
- Project Lead: Provides regular guidance, reviews project materials, and attends regularly scheduled checkpoint meetings to ensure challenges are addressed.
- Data Access Manager: Assists with accessing necessary internal data. In smaller organizations, this role may overlap with the Project Lead.
Project Requirements
- Access to Data and Personnel: FCCP projects typically involve a combination of primary and secondary research. As such, it may be necessary for the student team to interview stakeholders within your organization, analyze some internal data, or engage with current or prospective customers. Exposure to your organization’s internal business environment is crucial for the program’s learning objectives.
- FCCP Master Agreement: To participate in FCCP and support FCCP Students, three agreements must be completed before your organization is accepted into the program and project work begins. Information on these agreements is linked here: How to Apply
- Program Investment: FCCP charges a per-project administrative fee of $10,000 per student team. For nonprofits and small businesses (less than $10 million in annual revenue), the fee is $1,000. This fee helps cover a portion of the program’s operational costs and is not a payment for services rendered. Our goal is to create long-term partnerships where clients benefit from working with talented MBA students while contributing to their educational experience.
Common FCCP Project Types
As you and your team ideate on a business problem to bring to FCCP, here are examples of common projects FCCP teams have tackled over the years.
- NRG: Developed a GTM strategy for a subscription-based holistic ‘energy as a service’ model.
- Orbillion Bio: Supported the company’s go-to-market strategy for a cell-cultured meat product.
- Dell Technologies: Refined Dell’s GTM strategy in Security.
- Sanofi: Developed a US launch strategy for a new childhood vaccination.
- CVS Health: Provided a comprehensive assessment of market attractiveness for a bundled post-discharge care product.
- Labcorp: Identified new growth opportunities.
- Poplar Labs, Inc: Created a national expansion strategy for platform accessibility.
- Checkerspot, Inc.: Identified and quantified non-obvious value propositions.
- CVS Health: Provided recommendations to improve market adaptability and expand product offerings.
- Highland Ventures: Evaluated strategic options for an operating subsidiary, Highland Pure Water & Ice.
- Sanofi: Assessed the opportunity to bring a COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccine to market.
- Tesla, Inc.: Developed product recommendations for the energy storage market.
- Particle: Conducted a market analysis for condition monitoring for IoT applications.
- Duke Clinical Research Institute: Made recommendations for improving the clinical trial process.
- Locus Biosciences, Inc.: Developed a financial model and commercial dossier.
- Storworks Power: Built a project finance model for energy storage.
- Glenfarne Group: Analyzed project finance opportunities for hydrogen bridge-fuel projects.
- Sealed: Analyzed market entry opportunities for low- and moderate-income markets.
- DEI Directive: Developed a robust go-to-market strategy for a SaaS business.
- Research Square Company: Developed a content and social media marketing and brand strategy.
- Sojern: Researched tourism boards and developed a revenue-based tiering system.
- Cheetah: Explored customer sentiment and identified competition and product gaps.
- GE Vernova: Helped develop a business strategy for the Next Generation Digital Substation Portfolio.
- Oracle Corporation: Researched the metaverse landscape for business opportunities.
- Yolele: Assessed optimal growth sequence across different product lines and channels.
- WWF International: Enhanced consumer messaging and engagement using behavioral nudge methodologies, validated through primary user research and testing.
- Healthy Pets Mobile Vet: Provided recommendations on digital marketing efforts, leadership, organizational structure, pricing, and operational procedures.
- The Underbelly: Developed a strategy to increase subscribers and merchandise revenue while optimizing the email marketing strategy.
- Shell: Developed recommendations for farmers adopting regenerative practices.
- Siemens Energy: Developed a decarbonization roadmap for industrial emissions.
- ADM: Developed a business case for biochar production and its impact on sustainability goals.
- Investable Oceans: Assessed business models of Blue Economy innovation organizations.
- Sunbelt Rentals: Developed digital platform growth strategies.
- Lenovo: Supported Lenovo’s effort to grow a community of gamers online.
- M&F Bank: Made recommendations for entering the digital banking space.
Ready to Apply?
Learn more about each FCCP program and how to apply.