EVERY TEAM 1 TO 5 PEOPLE · MAX. 100 PARTICIPANTS · KICK-OFF 19 NOVEMBER @ MICA · €2,000 PRINT BUDGET FOR THE WINNER · SHOWCASE AT VISUALIZE EXPO

MAKE IT REAL.
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The challenge

This isn’t a case study. This is the start of your business.

Develop a standout concept around one or more on-demand print products. Build the brand, the collection and the sales channel. Test whether real people actually want it. And show that it works technically, creatively and financially.

A group of students listens to a presentation in Probo's studio.
Session with students at Probo.
  1. 01Which clearly defined niche or community are you building for?
  2. 02What product would they really want to own, use or share?
  3. 03Why would they choose your brand?
  4. 04Which channel will you use to reach your audience and turn them into customers?
  5. 05Can you show that your concept works technically, creatively and financially?

280+ materials. 300,000+ products.

Whether your idea involves panels, fabric, wallpaper, stickers or printed materials, you can get it made for real. Choose a material and turn it into a real product.

  • board
  • fabric, flags, banners, flooring
  • wall coverings, wallpaper, textiles
  • vinyl, stickers, labels
  • print

Will you start a shop in...

Ten directions you could take today. Pick one, give it a twist and make it yours. Or come up with something that’s not on the list.

  • Four blue beach flags in increasing sizes.

    ...flags on subscription

    A new shopfront flag every season, delivered automatically. Businesses forget about their flags; you make sure theirs always looks fresh.

    flags · banners

  • A printed banner with the text BOUWURK on a crowd control barrier in the street.

    ...reusable fence banners

    Every building site is a hundred-metre advertising space. Once the job's done, your banner is taken down and recycled through Sign Again, returning as new board material.

    fence banner · recyclable materials

  • Freestanding fabric frame with the pink fabric being pulled out of the frame.

    ...exhibition stands built with a configurator

    An entrepreneur puts together their own stand in ten minutes and orders it straight away. No stand builder, no quote, no waiting.

    fabric frames · banners · floor graphics

  • Two printed cushions in orange and green on a wooden bench.

    ...personalised baby essentials

    Birth announcement signs, personalised name cushions, photo panels and a rug. Prenatal, but with their name on it.

    photo panels · textiles · cards

  • Round printed floor sticker with a blue floral pattern on a wooden floor.

    ...vloercirkels

    Circular wall art, but under your feet. A category that barely exists yet, so you get to define it.

    floor stickers · vinyl flooring

  • Three round wall panels above an armchair against a concrete-effect wall.

    ...kantoorquotes

    “Get shit done” on every startup’s wall. Familiar lines, beautifully designed, in a size that transforms the room.

    wall art · forex · acrylic

  • A transfer film with blue lettering is peeled off a black garment.

    ...clubmerchandise

    Everything fans need to show who they support, made for the thousands of clubs that never get round to creating their own merchandise.

    textiles · flags · banners · stickers

  • Colourful velour wallpaper featuring a hummingbird being applied to a wall.

    ...made-to-measure wallpaper

    One roll, one design, one room. No two walls are the same, so why should the wallpaper be?

    wallpaper

  • Fabric poster featuring a painting of a Highland cow above a sideboard.

    ...interiors with a signature style

    A collection built around a style and an audience, rather than a webshop full of unrelated products.

    canvas · wall art · acoustic panels

  • An acoustic wall panel featuring a cityscape above a desk with a monitor.

    ...acoustics worth showing off

    Sound-absorbing panels that look good too, for home workers, hospitality venues and schools. A problem everyone has, with no stylish solution in sight.

    Acoustic Pro

A printed cardboard carry tray for six bottles, with a beer-themed print and the text 'Fancy a beer?' and 'Weeeeekend!'.
ExampleOne product, a thousand brands.A printed carry tray for six bottles: the same shape works for a brewery, a festival, a student society or a stag or hen party. That's what a niche looks like. And there are plenty more.See all examples

Concept final

What do you deliver on 9 December?

7

7-slide pitch deck

Problem · Customer · Solution · Market & proof · Business model · Launch · Team

1

MVP or mock-up

The smallest possible product, sample or landing page.

≥1

At least one test result

Build, Measure, Learn. Pick one critical assumption (e.g. "customers pay €X") and test it with 3 customer interviews, a mock-up comparison, price feedback or an interest check via a landing page. Show in your pitch what you tested and what decision it led to.

How your work will be judged.

100%Judging

Ownership

Your team keeps ownership of the concept and brand, under the final participation terms. Probo and MICA may showcase the project as part of the programme.

Feasibility

The end result must be something you can actually make: using a Probo product or production capability, with a realistic price and a margin that adds up. Taking part is free, and so is production during the challenge. You only pay for your own tools, such as hosting, a domain name and subscriptions.

Responsible AI use

Use AI to research, write and design faster. Be transparent about what AI has created and make sure the decisions and rights are yours.

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