BIS Consulting program is run between the Center for Responsible Business and the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative. BIS links company projects with teams of interdisciplinary graduate students from the UC Berkeley campus.  The program is dedicated to working with clients to address strategic opportunities or challenges relating to the energy and resource industry.

Teams are designed to meet their clients’ needs with complementary areas of academic focus and past professional experience.  The opportunity for students to collaborate across academic disciplines provides both a unique experience for student participants and a valuable perspective for BIS clients.  These teams of 4-5 graduate students work between 5-8 hours per week per student as pro-bono consultants for one semester, or 8 to 10 weeks. Project tasks and deliverables are decided between the team and the client.

BIS clients include large, well-known companies and local startups. Past clients of the BIS Consulting program include municipal organizations, venture capital firms, multinational conglomerates, independent power producers, and start-up companies. Types of projects include: market assessment, go-to-market strategy, policy research, investment analysis, scenario planning and impact assessment.

BIS Consulting projects are run twice annually, once in the Fall Semester (September to December) and once in the Spring Semester (February to May). The BIS Consulting Director team works with clients during Winter (December to January) and Summer (August to September) to help identify and scope project opportunities. Companies may submit multiple projects per semester and are encouraged to participate year-round. BIS Consulting cannot guarantee that the supply of students will match the demand of projects, but we do our best to make sure each client project receives a team of students.

For student questions, please email: [email protected]