2022-23 Enterprise Challenge winners
As part of its vision to become an enterprise university at the heart of the natural economy, SRUC challenged its students to think of new and innovative ideas to create value for the economy, environment and society.
The competition was judged by SRUC Entrepreneur in Residence and CEO of GrowBiz Jackie Brierton, Managing Director of Forth Resource Management Ltd, and SRUC Alumni Tommy Dale, and Enterprise Manager at Converge Dr Lissa Heron.
Prizes for all winning and highly commended projects were provided by Converge, a company creation programme for Scottish Universities and Research Institutes, and law firm Morton Fraser. The competition was also supported by Patent Attorneys Maucher Jenkins and University Innovation Funding from the Scottish Funding Council.
1st Place: Meredith Wicks
Meredith Wicks, who is studying for a Masters degree in Environmental Protection & Management, won £1,000 with a business proposal to facilitate more sustainable events and festivals across Scotland.
What she said:
“Festivals and events are an amazing space for connection, celebration of culture and heritage, and can introduce audiences to new artists and passions. But they shouldn't have to come at the expense of negative impacts to the planet. Tackling climate change needs to be a priority for all businesses and I was excited to put forward a business idea that had sustainability at its core for festivals and events."
2nd Place: Jean Claude Nsengiyumva
Jean Claude Nsengiyumva, a Food Security student at SRUC Edinburgh campus, won second prize and £750 for his novel solution to support rural farmers in Rwanda.
What he said:
“Being among the winners of the SRUC Enterprise Academy Challenge was a motivation to keep working on my business proposal. The application process was both a great personal and professional experience and the judges' comments were eye-opening - I am incorporating them within the business plan I am developing. And finally, the prize money was an incredible opportunity towards at least making a prototype to test the technical feasibility of the fertiliser on Rwandan market and collect feedback from farmers."
3rd Place: Kayleigh Turner
Aberdeen-based Agriculture student Kayleigh Turner was awarded third place and £500 for her proposed localised service that addresses challenges in the rural meat industry.
What she said:
“Being a competition winner has allowed me to gain valuable experience and advice from industry experts that I plan to take action on to face issues within the meat industry - one kilogram of meat at a time!”
For more information:
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