2026 CASE COMPETITON PROBLEM

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

are essential to economic growth in Delaware but continue to face structural barriers that limit their ability to scale and compete.Despite representing the majority of businesses, many SMEs experience:

•  Limited access to affordable financing
• Weak integration into corporate and institutional supply chains
• Low adoption of digital tools that improve productivity and competitiveness

These challenges are especially significant for early-stage, minority-owned, and rural businesses.

Your Challenge.

Design a scalable, practical solution that improves SME access to capital and markets while strengthening their integration into modern value chains, in alignment with UN SDG 9.3.