A group of students from Chester have been selected as finalists in a national competition for young entrepreneurs.
The University of Chester students were chosen as finalists in the Young Enterprise Start-Up Awards, for their eco-friendly business A Wild Life.
The students impressed the judges at the North West stage of the competition with their carbon-cutting venture which provides seeded cardboard boxes as a more sustainable way to package goods.
Consumers can plant the packaging – which is integrated with flower or vegetable seeds – rather than disposing of it.
Students Jade McArdle, Eleanor Jones, Demi Evans, Aaron Jones and Josh Sellings will now compete for a series of awards at the national final in May.
All are currently in the second year of undergraduate degree studies in Business Management, International Business Management and Events Management at the university’s business school.
They developed their business idea as part of the Entrepreneurial Thought in Action module which is one of the ways they’re supported to start their own company and learn management skills.
A total of 13 teams of student entrepreneurs competed at the North West final, which took place in Manchester, with just five teams going on to the UK final.
Student Jade McArdle (managing director of A Wild Life) said: “The North West final was a great opportunity for us to not only promote our business, but also ourselves.
“It was a perfect networking opportunity with people from different areas of business and enterprise.
“The constant conversation of our business in general chat, to the business interviews meant that we were always forward-thinking on the idea and our business processes which has helped us find ways we can improve, for the next round of the competition and beyond.
“We are so happy that all of our hard work paid off and that we are through to the UK final.”
Lecturer Conor Dangerfield said: “A Wild Life truly exemplified the high standards of our University of Chester student community.
“They were interviewed separately in three stages, denoting their capabilities for market entry, international exports, and their overall strategy in their competitive industry.
“Their last challenge, pitching in front of everyone, was as consistent as their interviews.”
Lecturer Cheryl Sorensen added: “Conor and I, the team, and the department are immensely proud that we can say that these students represent Chester Business School.
“We can now prepare for the next challenge, where the students will compete with the UK’s best and brightest young entrepreneurs.”
The Young Enterprise Start-Up Awards UK final will be held in Salford on 10th May 2023.
The winners of the UK Start-Up Company of the Year title will go on to compete in the European Young Enterprise Awards.
