Do you think you have what it takes to go all the way in the NRF Foundation University Challenge like this winning team who’s product idea took them to HSN, the television shopping network? Or, these two teams profiled by NBC 5 Chicago news? Here's how the process will take place this year.
The 2025-2026 NRF Foundation University Challenge is now open with the deadline of June 23, 2025.
Application Process
The NRF Foundation University Challenge application process consists of three phases. In the first phase, teams are required to submit a 20-slide pitch presentation deck and 90-second video presentation that addresses the business challenge. There will be a review period during which teams will be evaluated by retail judges at various companies.
A maximum of 10 teams will be selected to advance to the second phase. In phase two, teams will revise their pitch decks and videos and complete Q&A interviews with a group of retail judges. The interviews, revised pitch decks and videos will be evaluated by a second group of retail judges.
Three teams will be selected to advance to the third and final phase. In this phase, teams will present their pitches live to a panel of executive retail judges. The first-place team will receive a $30,000 tuition scholarship per team, the second-place team will receive $20,000 per team and the third-place team will receive $20,000 per team.
The 2025-2026 Challenge:
Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc., serves as the style source for generations of customers. With one of the nation’s largest e-commerce platforms powered by macys.com and mobile app, paired with a nationwide network of stores, Macy’s delivers the most convenient and seamless shopping experience, offering great value and more. Macy’s serves customers of all ages, demographics, and communities to provide an equitable and enjoyable shopping experience for all.
Macy’s, a premier gifting destination, aims to become the go-to destination for gifting year-round in a competitive retail landscape. This case study challenges you and your team to select one specific gifting time of the year to craft a strategic plan that expands Macy’s gifting presence year-round across both physical stores and online. The goal of this case study is to identify one gifting time-period or category and develop an innovative, forward-thinking strategy to make Macy’s a top choice for gifting.
The NRF Foundation will host two information sessions focused on the requirements & timeline for this year's competition:
Info Session 1:
Date: TBD
Info Session 2:
Date: TBD
You can also view the recording of the Q&A with last year's top team here.
Challenge Timeline
Key dates for the 2025-2026 University Challenge
January 2025: Gather your team of 3 - 4 undergraduate students and start familiarizing yourself with the case study. Be sure to talk with your advisor about how to get selected as the team(s) to represent your school. Team members must be sophomores, juniors or seniors enrolled full-time at a U.S. University school at the time when the scholarship is presented in January 2026.
February 2025: The NRF Foundation will host an information session open to all students and educators to learn more about the requirements, the timeline, etc. The overview of the Macy's case, and the core elements of the case study will be discussed.
April 1, 2025: First checkpoint for schools to notify us regarding their participation by completing this webform. Schools can still join in at any point after this date.
April 2025: The NRF Foundation will host the second information session with Macy's.
June 23, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET: Deadline to submit pitch presentations and pitch videos.
July 22, 2025: We’ll announce the semi-finalists who have made it through to the second round. Up to ten teams will advance to this round. All teams will receive their overall score and feedback on their pitch. Semi-finalists will have a chance to revise their pitch decks pitch videos based on feedback from round one judges.
September 5, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. ET (noon): Revised pitch presentations and pitch videos due.
September 9 – 24, 2025: During this time period, each Round 2 team will take part in a virtual Q&A session with retail judges, who will ask questions about their pitch presentations.
October 15, 2025: We’ll announce which three teams have made it to the final round. Teams will have a final chance to revise their pitch presentations and videos.
January 5, 2026: Revised pitch presentations and pitch videos will be due.
January 8, 2026: The final three teams will pitch their concepts live to a panel of retail executives as a part of the NRF Foundation Student Program.
January 11, 2026: The top team will be announced at the NRF Foundation Honors event.
Eligibility Requirements
The NRF Foundation University Challenge is exclusively open to undergraduate university students. Each team will consist of three to four students each; interested applicants must check with their school’s NRF Advisor to see how they are selecting teams to enter. Participating students must be sophomores or above at the time the scholarship is awarded in January 2026.
To find your advisor, or for more information, contact scholarships@nrf.com.
Judging Criteria
How your submission will be scored.
Your Submission
Your team must submit a pitch presentation and pitch video; there are formatting and content requirements for entry materials. Please review the 2025-26 requirements for specific details.
Round One
During the first round of judging, your pitch presentation and pitch video will be evaluated for content, presentation and delivery.
Semifinal and Final Rounds
The judging criteria vary for the final two rounds. Teams who advance beyond round one will receive the judging criteria for the next round via email.
