Student ‘business brains’ announced

Students with the best brains for business were rewarded today by the University of St Andrews (Friday 16th May, 2003).

The University announced the winners of their Student Business Plan – a competition which offered £3,500 in return for creative, innovative and commercially viable new business start-up ideas from students of the University.

The Competition was open to all undergraduates and postgraduates in the Faculties of Science and Arts, in two categories – Service Business or (High) Technology Business. The competition was divided into two levels – one for first to fourth year undergraduates and one for post- honours level students.

From over 30 teams who submitted a plan, the final saw four postgraduate teams and eight undergraduate teams fight for the winning awards. The plans were judged by a panel consisting of representatives of the University and other business professionals.

The winners were:

Postgraduate Competition

1st Prize: European Quiz Network (EQN) – Adam Brown, John Goldasich, Terry Kerr, Marshall Porter – £2,000 2nd Prize: Ideas United – William Leasure, David M. Roemer – £1,000 3rd Prize: ScotAlliance – John Killengreen, Thomas O’Connell – £500

Undergraduate Competition

1st Prize: boxportable – Benjamin Allen, Graeme Anderson, Robert Gordon – £2,000 2nd Prize: GIM Holidays – Grace Briggs, Margaret Cole, Iona Johnson-Ferguson – £1,000 3rd Prize: TravelSaints – Carolyn Buckner, F.Victoria Harte, Ewan McNeil, Daniel Vize – £500

Other Awards:

Thorntons WS Free Legal Advice Award (Undergraduate) – Platypus 4×4

Thorntons WS Free Legal Advice Award (Postgraduate) – ScotAlliance

RBS Award: Best Business Plan – European Quiz Network (EQN) – £150

RBS Award: Most Innovative Idea – Laser Force – £150

Organiser of the event, Christopher Venditozzi, the University’s Student Enterprise Officer, said:

“The Student Business Plan Competition provided the perfect vehicle for raising awareness of Student Enterprise here at the university. I have been greatly encouraged, though not totally surprised, at the enthusiastic participation and high standard of business ideas brought to the fore. Such standards can only be as a result of the quality of individuals involved. In all, thirty-two students, bringing various skills, knowledge and experience together collaborated within twelve teams, producing business plans full of innovation and creativity.”

Christopher’s post is part-funded by the Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) and Scottish Enterprise Fife (SEF). Since its launch, SIE has helped over two dozen companies emerge from Scottish universities and, through its network of professionals in each of Scotland’s 13 universities, provides a variety of high-quality professional services to start-up’s.

Sharon Bamford, Director of SIE, said of the event:

“This is yet another great example of what is happening in Scotland’s universities on a daily basis. Young people with great ideas and an infrastructure to develop these ideas is good news for Scotland!”

NOTE TO EDITORS:

The finalists were:

(Postgraduate Competition)

carboot.com – Gregory McNiff, Joseph Stuart European Quiz Network (EQN) – Adam Brown, John Goldasich, Terry Kerr, Marshall Porter Ideas United – William Leasure, David M.Roemer ScotAlliance – John Killengreen, Thomas O’Connell

(Undergraduate Competition)

boxportable – Benjamin Allen, Graeme Anderson, Robert Gordon Friday Knights – Farid Bakri, Peter Byrne GIM Holidays – Grace Briggs, Margaret Cole, Iona Johnson- Ferguson Laser Force – James Dalby, Gillian McCay, Sinan Ozbek MED VAULT – Devon Abrams, Julian Proctor Platypus 4×4 – John Armstrong, James Howell, Susan Lombard-Glover Smiech – Alison Dingwall, Helene Smiech TravelSaints – Carolyn Buckner, F.Victoria Harte, Ewan McNeil, Daniel Vize

Weblinks: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/sie.

ENDS

Issued by Beattie Media On behalf of the University of St Andrews Contact Gayle Cook on 01334 467227, mobile 07900 050103, or email [email protected] Ref: Business Plan Awards ANNOUNCEMENT pr 160503 View the latest University news at http://www.st- andrews.ac.uk/extrel/press.htm