Spring 2026 - Registration now open

Build a global portfolio.
Compete with the world.

The QGF Global Portfolio Challenge is a worldwide, simulated investment competition that teaches students how to construct, manage and defend a diversified portfolio using international investment funds. One semester. One hundred thousand virtual dollars. One global leaderboard.

Registration  Open through 27 February 2026
Performance window  1 March - 31 August 2026 (six monthly rounds)
Entry fee  Free for all students
About the Challenge

A serious classroom for global portfolio thinking.

The QGF Global Portfolio Challenge is a team-based, simulated investment competition designed as a hands-on educational tool. Each team is given a virtual fund of US$100,000 and competes across six months of monthly investment rounds, allocating their capital across a basket of international investment funds.

The Challenge is run by QGF Limited and the QGF Global Forum. Top-ranked teams from each edition are recognised on this site and at qgf.org. Since its inception, the programme has drawn thousands of students from six continents and more than one hundred universities.

Five steps

How the Challenge works

From registration to your first leaderboard placement in under an afternoon.

Form your team

Register your team and nominate one team member as the form submitter who will own your allocation decisions for the season.

Receive your fund

Every team starts with a virtual US$100,000 investment fund. Every fund's unit price starts at US$1.00 on day one.

Allocate each month

Each month you have ten minutes to discuss and submit your fund allocation form. Allocate between 10% and 50% to each fund as integer percentages.

Watch the market move

Each month fund prices respond to ten investment-influencing factors and broader market conditions. Mentors help you read them - but the call is yours.

Settle on month six

Account balances are published each month. After six monthly rounds, the team with the highest account balance on settlement day takes the Cup.

Want the full rulebook?

The complete fifteen-rule rulebook, broken out by section and explained in plain English, is published online.

Read the full rulebook

Rules of the Challenge

Simple rules. Serious markets.

The full fifteen-rule rulebook is published online. Here is a summary of what every team should know before the first monthly round.

Starting setup

  • Every team receives a starting fund of US$100,000.
  • The unit price of every fund begins at US$1.00.
  • The competition runs across six monthly investment rounds.

Teams & mentors

  • Each team nominates one member to collect inputs and submit the form.
  • Each team has ten minutes per round to discuss and submit.
  • Mentors help interpret the market - they do not make investment decisions.

Monthly submissions

  • Submit one fund-change form per month, on time, every month.
  • Late or invalid forms inherit the previous month's allocation.
  • Once submitted, a form cannot be retrieved or amended.

Allocation limits

  • Each fund must receive between 10% and 50% of your account balance.
  • Allocations must be integer percentages.
  • Winner: highest account balance on the day of settlement.

Read the full 2026 rulebook

100+
Universities represented
7,500+
Student participants
6
Continents reached
21
Editions completed
Recognition

Why compete?

Beyond sharpening your investment thesis and your fund-selection skills, the Challenge recognises top performers in ways that look just as good on a CV as they do on a leaderboard.

Top-5 features

The semester's top five portfolios are featured on this site and across QGF Global Perspectives.

Weekly leaderboards

Weekly and monthly leaders are highlighted on social channels and on the public leaderboard.

School recognition

Universities with 100+ registered students receive a dedicated cohort ranking and certificate.

Award ceremony

Semester winners are invited to the QGF Global Portfolio Cup ceremony, hosted at the QGF Global Forum.

Ready for Spring 2026?

Registration closes 27 February 2026. The performance window runs 1 March - 31 August 2026 across six monthly rounds.

Global community

Who is participating?

The Challenge has attracted students from, literally, around the globe. A selection of countries represented in recent editions:

  • United States
  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • Brazil
  • United Kingdom
  • Ireland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Netherlands
  • Switzerland
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Portugal
  • Austria
  • Sweden
  • Poland
  • Türkiye
  • UAE
  • South Africa
  • Ghana
  • India
  • Singapore
  • China
  • South Korea
  • Japan
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
  • Indonesia
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
Visual identity

One logo. Three surfaces.

The QGF mark is provided in three palettes so it can sit comfortably on any background — light, neutral or dark — without sacrificing legibility or brand presence.

QGF logo in deep navy on a light background
Primary — Navy on Light
QGF logo with muted neutral wordmark
Neutral — Muted Wordmark
QGF logo in white on navy background
Reverse — White on Navy

View the full visual identity guide

Contact

Get in touch

For programme enquiries, school partnerships or media requests, the team is happy to hear from you.

Participant support

QGF Challenge Support Centre

Registration, technical and rules questions.

support@qgf.org

Programme office

QGF Global Portfolio Challenge

School partnerships, ceremonies and media enquiries.

program@qgf.org