Student ‘business brains’ awarded

Students with the best brains for business will be rewarded this week by the University of St Andrews.

The University will announce the winners of their Student Business Plan on Friday 16th May, 2003.

The Student Business Plan Competition – launched in February this year – 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.

There will be three prizes awarded for each level – first prize of £2,000, second prize of £1,000 and third prize of £500. The competition’s main sponsors The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, have offered the cash prizes as well as two special awards for the ‘Best Business Plan’ and the ‘Most Innovative Idea’. Other prizes on offer ranged from off-licence vouchers for the first 15 entries received to valuable legal assistance from Thorntons WS, one of Scotland’s top law firms.

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

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

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS:

YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND A REPORTER / PHOTOGRAPHER TO: UPPER COLLEGE HALL, ST SALVATOR’S QUAD, ST ANDREWS AT 1PM, ON FRIDAY 16TH MAY, 2003 FOR THE FINAL AWARDS CEREMONY OF THE STUDENT BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

*THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND PRESENTED WITH THEIR AWARDS AT AROUND 1.45PM*

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 pr 130503.doc View the latest University news at http://www.st- andrews.ac.uk/extrel/press.htm