• ► For students
• ► For businesses

For businesses

‘What we are doing for SIFE students and what they are doing for their communities is incredible. They’re taking their energy and passion out to the community. They are learning and also educating and encouraging people in their communities. It’s a terrific model.’

- Bernie Milano, President and Trustee, KPMG Foundation

‘SIFE students are very smart young people. I love their energy and enthusiasm. They recognise that it is not just about developing themselves but it is also about contributing to their communities and making a difference in this world, and I’m energised about that.’

- Denise Morrison, President, Campbell Soup Company

Partnership Benefits

A business partnership with the University of Melbourne SIFE, will see your organisation joining a global network of over 2000 universities in over 40 countries. Specific benefits include:

Building your company's name and reputation

• Your company’s name and reputation will be promoted across all faculties in Australia’s leading universities, to over 30 Australian universities at the National Championships Conference, and to over 2000 universities at the World Cup Conference.

Access to the University of Melbourne Network

• Working with ambitious, skilled, passionate and innovative students who are committed to their own personal and professional development, and whose experiences as SIFE students have better prepared them for professional careers.

Evidence of Success

• Recognition and prizes awarded at the National Competition and World Championships, including SIFE Australia National Runners-Up 2008, 2009 and 2010, National Champions 2007, and SIFE World Cup Semi-Finalists in New York 2007.
• SIFE alumni have received graduate positions or vacation placements with leading professional firms including Deloitte, Macquarie Capital, UBS, McKinsey, Accenture, StateStreet (USA), KPMG, PwC, Ernst & Young, Mallesons, Blake Dawson, Arup and the Federal Treasury.

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Partnership Options

There are various partnership options available to suite your organisation’s specific needs and goals. These vary from a local to international scale involvement and short-term to more substantial commitments.

Sponsorship

As a self-supporting, non-profit organisation, SIFE’s activities are funded by government grants, private grants, corporate sponsorship, university support and competition prize money. These sources of funding ensures effectiveness in SIFE’s day to day operations which includes supporting the project portfolio, the facilitation of professional training workshops for student members, subsiding the annual National Conference event and World Cup expenditure, and providing for general administrative expenses.

Through sponsorship, our professional partners benefit from having increased brand recognition as official partners of the University of Melbourne SIFE on promotional materials. Partnership also allows organisations to increase their prominence and reputation among the high calibre students of both SIFE and the broader University of Melbourne networks. We are able to create an individual sponsorship package that meets the interests and objectives of both our organisations.

Business Advisory Board

The Business Advisory Board (BAB) is an integral part of the SIFE program. The BAB is a group of business and community leaders that are recruited to serve as mentors for the team. Board members provide advice, monitor activities, assist in the development of strategy and act as a judging panel in the lead-up to the National Conference. BAB members keep SIFE students informed of current business and community concerns and trends, provide financial or in-kind assistance for projects, critique annual reports and presentations, and provide networking opportunities. The BAB is also capable of carrying out other duties on behalf of the SIFE team, which may include holding the team accountable for finances and projects goals, connecting the organisation with local networks and identifying possible sponsorship opportunities.

Click here for a list of our current Business Advisory Board Members.

Active Engagement

Mentoring

Company representatives are able to act as valuable strategic advisors for students through their professional specialisation and general business knowledge and experience. Members of the business community have the opportunity to personally, and professionally, inspire the next generation of leaders by providing mentoring support to the team. Individual mentors and steering committees aim to develop the leadership skills and knowledge base of project managers and functional managers.

Training Workshops

Members of the business community can actively engage with the SIFE team through running workshops on topics ranging from developing interpersonal skills such as public speaking, interviewing techniques and professional networking, to developing technical skills such as financing and project management.