Competition for young entrepreneurs launched

05.02.09

Young entrepreneurs look set to receive funding and business training, as a new competition is launched for 2009.

The Big Leap competition, which is open to 18-30-year-olds at the pre-start or early stages of running an enterprise, aims to help young people develop their entrepreneurial skills to succeed in business.

Some £500 is up for grabs for the winning business idea, and finalists will have the opportunity to participate in a business plan ‘bootcamp’ and in business coaching and mentoring sessions. The three highest scoring business plans will be invited to participate in an investment readiness process and connected to potential investors.

Only ten finalists will be chosen to participate in the prize package.

Amy Winters and Kseniya Zagorodnyuk were the winning entrepreneurs of 2008, and received funding for their ‘Couture Clubbing’ fashion venture. They recommend the competition to all entrepreneurs; Amy said: “Striding Out gave essential training in a supportive environment to help clarify all my business ideas. The training helped me push my business forward significantly within the last six months.”

Striding Out is an entrepreneurial organisation run by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs and aims to achieve the triple bottom line of ‘people, planet and profit’. The network brings together a community of commercial and ethical entrepreneurs and professional experts of all ages and industries from across the UK to support, inspire and work with each other.

To register your business for the competition, go to: www.stridingout.co.uk/competition.html.

© Crimson Business Ltd, 2009