Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

Undergraduate Students from the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), have once again achieved a commendable feat. On Sunday (25/11), the Bantex team, composed of Adinda Dewi Ariestuti (Economics 2023), Gildas Sebastian Satriatama Sitompul (Accounting 2023), and Cornelio Anggita Maheswara Saragih (Accounting 2023), successfully clinched the second place in the Sebelas Maret Business Plan Competition (SEMBULATION) 2023 for Smart Digital Economy category. SEMBULATION is a national-level business competition organized by the Student Association of the Management Department, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sebelas Maret (HMJM FEB UNS).

To achieve this commendable achievement, the Bantex team had to go through three stages of the competition. In the initial stage, the team had to submit a business model canvas (BMC) with the overarching theme "Goldenpreneurship Prospects for The Next Phase of Modern Socio-Economy". Their unique idea propelled them to the semifinals, presenting a business proposal, and ultimately to the final stage, which included pitching and business branding presentations.

In the online final round held on Saturday (25/11), the Bantex team presented a business idea titled Sebaku. Sebaku is a digital platform that acts as a distributor and retailer, offering quality grade B and C fruits and vegetables. These products generally do not pass the market curation but are still suitable for consumption. Grade B produce is directed towards end consumers, such as households (business-to-consumer) and restaurants (business-to-business). Meanwhile, grade C fruits and vegetables are distributed to farmers as raw materials for animal feed production. Thus, this business idea aims to enhance social welfare and environmental sustainability.

"Even though we didn't have the opportunity to win the first prize, we are grateful and happy to have secured second place in our first participation in this national business competition. Not only that, we are also pleased to have learned many things during the preparation and execution of participating in this competition at UNS," shared Cornelio Anggita Maheswara Saragih, one of the team members. However, he also acknowledged that there is much room for improvement. Therefore, after each stage, they immediately evaluate their performance to strive for better outcomes in the future.

Behind their outstanding achievement, the Bantex team faced challenges during the competition. Differences in mindset and opinions among team members were the most significant challenges throughout the competition. Nevertheless, the team reached an agreement after engaging in intense debates. Conversely, differences in opinions strengthened the team's bond and increased mutual understanding.

In conclusion, the Bantex team shared a message with their fellow FEB UGM students who plan to participate in similar competitions, "We highly recommend FEB friends to join business plan competitions. You will learn many things, starting from how to collaborate with team members to technical aspects related to business planning." Moreover, the knowledge gained during the competition can aid in understanding the materials taught on campus. Business plan competitions can be an excellent option to initiate steps in business-related competitions as they provide broad and detailed knowledge.

Congratulations to the Bantex team for their remarkable achievement!

Reportage: Rizal Farizi