Sir Alan will see you in the boardroom now…
Sit down. Take a deep breathe. Take a sip of your water.
AND THEN TAKE APART YOUR COMPETITORS! 😆
You’re either going to be hired or fired. What’s it gonna be…?
2 Apprentice Style Team Building Providers
1. The Apprentice Challenge by Zing Events
The Apprentice Challenge in 5 words
Strategic, creative, competitive, collaborative and dynamic!
The Apprentice Challenge is perfect for
Teams that enjoy commercial thinking and real-world problem-solving, leadership and management groups, sales, marketing and innovation teams, and organisations looking to reveal natural roles, decision-making styles and communication dynamics. It works particularly well for teams focused on strategy, persuasion and collaboration, as well as groups who respond well to structured competition with clear objectives and outcomes.
The structure of the event
The ‘Business Guru’ AKA Alan Sugar in real life, is looking to invest in a team with skills and talents. Teams will have to produce and market a box of chocolates. Yum yum. Or maybe not. They may be rubbish! Or there is an option to come up with a delicious smoothie. What could go wrong? EVERYTHING, everything could go wrong. And that’s where the fun lies. Because the Business Guru will rip apart your teams creations if they fail to hit the mark. So get innovating and communicating well. There is only one winner. The winners get hired. The losers get fired.
What’s included
Your team will be split up into smaller groups ➡️ they brainstorm and decide (or argue!) about ideas ➡️ roles are agreed ➡️ a business plan is created ➡️ a marketing campaign is produced ➡️ teams then create their masterpieces (or disasters!) ➡️ they pitch their concept ➡️ the winners are crowned!
Duration
From 1-hr to 3-hrs, suitable for morning or afternoon sessions
Attendee Limit & Set-Up Required
6–1000 participants, minimal set-up required and fully indoor-friendly
👉 Click here to book or find out more 👈
2. Apprentice Style Team Building by Firebird Events
The Apprentice Challenge is perfect for: Teams who want to stretch their creative muscles, departments looking to boost collaboration and communication, mixed groups with a variety of personalities and skill sets, and organisations aiming to build confidence as well as critical business-thinking skills. It’s ideal for diverse teams of introverts and extroverts, groups seeking an inclusive activity that accommodates different strengths and abilities, cross-office or remote teams reconnecting in person, newly formed teams building rapport, and teams who need an energising, morale-boosting experience! The Apprentice Challenge doesn’t just bring teams together — it inspires innovation, encourages better decision-making and nurtures leadership potential, all while teams share laughs, creative exploration and a genuine sense of accomplishment at the end of the session.
Duration: Typically runs for around 2–3 hours, but can be adapted depending on your schedule and objectives.
Location: Fully mobile — The Apprentice Challenge can be delivered at your office, a conference space or an away-day venue of your choice with minimal fuss.
Attendee limit & set-up required: Ideal for groups from around 10 to 100 people, with all materials provided and professional facilitators handling setup, guidance and wrap-up.
👉 Click here to book or find out more 👈
9 Similar Activities to Apprentice Team Building Events
Maybe a few members of your teams have never seen The Apprentice or they have some reservations. But you are all still keen on team vs team and competitiveness! So let’s crack on with similar team building ideas 👇
1. The Traitors Experience!
The Traitors Experience in 5 words: Deceptive, hilarious, strategic, competitive and tense! 😈
Perfect for: Teams who love game shows, mind games, and catching each other out 👀 Great for groups that enjoy The Traitors, Would I Lie to You? or a bit of friendly chaos
About: Teams compete in a series of fast-paced game-show style challenges, earning points while trying to uncover a hidden twist… one person in each team is secretly working against them 😏 The Deceiver must stay undetected, while everyone else debates, accuses, and second-guesses every move. It’s all about communication, trust, strategy — and bluffing your way to victory.
Duration: 1–2 hours and works perfectly in the morning, afternoon, or evening
Location: Fully mobile! It’s an indoor activity that runs at your office, conference venue, or away-day location.
Attendee Limit: 10–500
👉 Click here to find out more 👈
2. Trade some stocks!
The Trading Floor Activity in 5 words: Exhilarating, fast, fun, competitive and strategic!
Perfect for: Teams who want the thrill of trading stocks and teams that love the wolf of wall street film 🤣
About: Teams dive into a fast-paced, high-stakes simulation of the financial markets, making split-second decisions, negotiating deals, and competing to grow their portfolios. It’s all about strategy, collaboration, and a bit of friendly office rivalry—team building with serious edge
Duration: 1-hr to 2-hrs and can be completed in the morning, afternoon or evening
Location: Fully mobile! Comes to your office or away day location and is an inside activity
Attendee Limit: 10-500
Pricing: £1798 + £33 per person (all +VAT)
👉 Click here to find out more 👈
3. Murder Mystery!
Murder Mystery in 5 words: Dramatic, social, clever, immersive and collaborative
Murder Mystery is perfect for: Teams that prefer discussion-led, storytelling-based activities over physical challenges, remote or hybrid teams coming together in person, and cross-functional groups looking to build rapport. It’s especially effective for inclusive team building, encouraging listening, deduction and shared problem-solving in a relaxed, highly engaging format.
Duration: From 1.5 hrs to 3 hrs, daytime or evening friendly
Attendee Limit & Set-Up Required: 10–500 participants, lo
w set-up and adaptable to most rooms
Click here to find out more.
4. Escape Rooms
Escape Rooms in 5 words: Creative, inquisitive, adventurous, teamwork and collaborative!
Escape Rooms are perfect for: Teams looking for a pre-meal activity, teams on a budget and teams looking to enhance collaboration
Why Escape Rooms for team building: Getting your team doing an Escape Room is perfect for getting them problem solving in a fun and different environment. They are also an enjoyable team away day activity for a high percentage of team members (not too active, not too heavy, not too demanding etc). And they’re in most cities and towns now too. Escape Rooms will probably be more suited to teams of 20 or less
Duration & Location: In every city (and most towns) and most rooms last for 60-mins
Pricing: Price per person ranges from £28pp to £40pp, price for a team of 7 will be roughly £28pp
Attendee Limit: Most rooms cater from 2-8 people, but you can book out multiple rooms at the same time for bigger teams. Rooms can be booked morning, afternoon or evening
Escape Room providers with multiple locations:
👉 Escape London 👈
👉 Escape Hunt 👈
👉 Escapology 👈
For escape room ideas in London, check out this article by TimeOut about 17 of the best Escape Rooms in London.
5. Squid Games!
Squid Play Game Show in 5 words: Engaging, unusual, wild, challenging & different
Perfect for: Teams looking for a challenge, teams who want to do something different and teams who want to create a buzz
About: Inspired by the Netflix drama, teams tackle outrageous challenges ripped straight from the big screen—testing strategy, speed, and cunning. It’s competitive, hilarious, and perfect for bonding, boosting collaboration, and creating epic office bragging rights!
Duration: 1-hr to 2-hrs and can be completed in the morning, afternoon or evening
Location: Fully mobile! Comes to your office or away day location and is an inside activity
Attendee Limit: 10-500
Pricing: £1500 + £25 per person (all +VAT)
👉 Click here to find out more 👈
6. The Quiz & Battle Olympics!
Are there a mixture of personalities in your team? Introverts? Extroverts? If so, finding a team building activity to suit all is challenging. Some like being active and competitive, others want things quiet and relaxed. Some would feel awkward about being centre of attention, others would love it. It’s a bloomin nightmare right?!
Well, how about an activity that has a bit of everything?
Your team split into smaller teams, battling it out for points and for the gold medal 🥇
Mini-quizzes.
3v3 competitive battles.
Team challenges.
All in bite-size chunks. Relaxed AND energetic.
The competitive extroverts have the spotlight and win the battles, the calm introverts use their wits and win the quizzes. Everyone’s happy 😀
Just imagine your team playing these wild battles 👇💥
The Quiz & Battle Olympics in 5 words: Quizzical, energetic, informal, social and fun!
The Quiz & Battle Olympics is perfect for: Diverse teams of personalities (introverts and extroverts), teams looking for an informal and flexible team building activity that can be blended with drinks, food and socializing, financial teams, accountancy teams, teams in STEM, large groups, an evening team social
Duration: From 2-hrs to 4-hrs and can be completed morning, afternoon or evening
Location: Fully mobile! Comes to your office or away day / conference location
Attendee Limit & Set-Up Required: Can cater from 10 people upwards, can be completed cabaret or auditorium style. Limited AV is required
If you wanted to make it ultra-competitive, you can add the ‘Grand Finale’. which is a true test of your teams metal. It’s a fight to the death. Only joking. Or are we…? 👇
Find out more 👉 The Quiz & Battle Olympics 👈
Click here to inquire about a booking.
Click here to inquire about 50% off sessions for NHS & Not-For-Profit Teams⚡Limited sessions available⚡
7. Hunt the streets of London or York!
About StreetHunt Games: Immersive and self-guided mysteries —think a grown-up scavenger hunt meets escape room meets murder mystery, all played outdoors across York or London!
Duration: Roughly 2-hrs
Location: London – Gunpowder Square, Blackfriars. York – The Coffee Yard. Manchester – The Science & Industry Museum
Pricing: Standard Game – £18.15 per person (£16.50 + £1.65 booking fee). Corporate Package – £22 per person
Attendee Limit: Can cater from 2 people right up 250 people
StreetHunt Games in 5 words: Adventurous, quizzical, teamwork, mysterious and exhilarating!
StreetHunt Games are perfect for: Teams on a budget, teams looking to get out and about and teams looking to mix team building with exploration!
Check out their 👉 Google Reviews Here 👈
Find out more 👉 StreetHunt Games 👈
8. Beat the Box
Beat the Box in 5 words: Fast-paced, immersive, tactical, intense and engaging
Beat the Box is perfect for: Teams that thrive under time pressure, enjoy puzzles and logic-based challenges, and want an escape-room-style experience without leaving their venue. It’s ideal for problem-solvers, technical teams, leadership groups and departments focused on improving communication, delegation and decision-making under stress, while remaining inclusive and highly engaging.
Duration: Typically 1–2 hrs, ideal as a high-energy centrepiece
Attendee Limit & Set-Up Required: 10–1000 participants, compact set-up with multiple challenge stations
Click here to find out more.
9. Take on the Sphere!
The Sphere in 5 words: Competitive, unusual, wild, daring, and edgy!
Perfect for: Teams that are looking for an outside activity in summer and corporate events with a large budget per person
About: The Sphere is a team building experience inspired by your favourite TV game shows! Teams face epic challenges across different zones, using strategy, skill, and collaboration to earn points before the grand finale inside the Sphere. High-energy, competitive, and full of laughs—this is team bonding with a big-screen twist
Duration: 1-hr to 3-hrs and can be completed in the morning or afternoon
Location: Fully mobile! Comes to your office or away day location and is an outside activity
Attendee Limit: 10-500
Pricing: £1798 + £44 per person (all +VAT)
👉 Click here to find out more 👈
DIY Apprentice Team Building Ideas
So you’re thinking of running your own Apprentice Event. Top notch! Alan Sugar will approve of you ✅
The trick is not to stick to the TV show to rigidly. And put your own flavour to it. Here are some focuses 👇
Decide on the mission
Produce a smoothie, invent a new flavour of cookie, build a tall tower. The list could be endless. All you need to do is pick and idea that can wrap around what your team do day-to-day.
Buy the materials
If it’s a new smoothie, for example, they will need lots of flavours to play around with. And the kitchen equipment.
Hire a Sir Alan Sugar
Someone will need to play the role! You already know who it will be don’t you 😆
Split the teams
This is important. The ideal number is 6-8 per team. Try and mix up the personalities up. And appoint a project manager per team
Start the mission
Let the team brainstorm ideas and come up with concepts
Produce the concept
It’s then up to the teams to move their idea to reality
Present the concept
They will then need to present the concept in front of Sir Alan Sugar!
Decide the winning team
It’s up to Sir Alan to decide on the winner and give reasons why
For more team building ideas, check out 28 team away day ideas to energise your team.
