How do young people plan their path to a home of their own? VŠE students looked for answers together with Spořka
Finding a home of their own is one of the biggest challenges in life for many young people today. How can we help them along the way and offer support that truly meets their needs? That is the question students of the Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE) explored during the summer semester, in collaboration with colleagues from the Housing domain of Česká spořitelna.
What was the aim of the project, and what brief did the VŠE students receive?
This year, the minor specialisation in Project Management at the Faculty of Business Administration, VŠE, built on a successful collaboration from previous years. The theme of this year’s project was “On the Way Home: A Digital Platform to Prepare Young People for Owning Their Own Home” (Na cestě k domovu: Digitální platforma pro přípravu mladých lidí na vlastní bydlení).
The aim was to design a concept for a digital platform to help young people aged 18–35 navigate housing-related questions. Students were asked to think through not only the platform’s content and structure, but also its features and user experience. On behalf of Česká spořitelna, the project was led by colleagues from the Housing domain, Milan Pospíšil, Jana Pocová and Hana Burečková, who introduced the brief, the context and their expectations for the final outputs at the start of the semester.
Why did we focus on housing?
Affordable housing is an extremely topical issue. According to the Prosperity and Financial Health Index, Czechia has long ranked among the EU countries with the worst housing conditions. In 2025, it came 23rd out of the 27 EU member states. Buying an average flat in Czechia takes 13.6 years’ worth of salary, more than 10% of households spend over 40% of their income on housing, and housing costs make up 32.4% of total household expenditure.
The younger generation is hit hardest. High property prices, less accessible mortgages and rising household running costs mean that many young people postpone living independently, as well as other life steps. The digital platform was therefore meant to offer information, tools and support to help them better understand the realities of the Czech market and draw up their own realistic plan on the way to a home.
How did the students look for solutions?
Work on the project began with thorough research. The students analysed available sources, mapped the current market situation and interviewed members of the target group. Based on their findings, they then developed their own concepts for the digital platform. Their outputs also included visual designs created in Figma, showing possible user journeys, the structure of the platform and specific features. Throughout the semester, the students met regularly with colleagues from Spořka. They received ongoing feedback, could discuss their ideas with industry experts and check that their proposals had real potential for practical use.
What does Spořka take away from the project?
The project also benefited the Housing domain itself. The students’ outputs gave the team concrete material for developing the topic further and for follow-up work on the digital platform concept. The team gained input based on target-group research, user journey design and visual concepts in Figma, which it can draw on as the solution develops.
And how did the project final turn out?
Four teams made it to the final. The final presentations took place on 25 May at Česká spořitelna, where the students pitched their proposals to a jury, which then chose the winning team. The winners received an award for the best project.
We would like to thank all the students for their excellent work, energy and high-quality outputs. Many thanks also go to Milan Pospíšil, Jana Pocová and Hana Burečková for their time, expert insight and continuous support of the students throughout the semester.
