LIVERPOOL FC BACKS CITY'S GREAT ENTERPRISE CHALLENGE AS SCHOOLS REACH SECOND STAGE

18.11.2011

Twenty two secondary schools have reached the second stage of Liverpool's Great Enterprise Challenge and will battle it out this week (Friday) in a Dragons Den style pitch at Liverpool Football Club.

Every team, including four from special schools in the city, have already been given a start-up fund of £100 to develop their ideas. Liverpool City Council, in partnership with Liverpool Vision, is the first local authority in the UK to launch such a challenge.

Teams include Pool Youth, Silver Surfers Social and Smoosh with 10 going through to the next stage and given a further £250. More than 40 primary schools have also entered and will be judged on their written submissions.

The competition is part of the build up to next year's Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC), where entrepreneurs and thought leaders from more than 120 countries will be represented.

The Congress is being organised by the US-based Kauffman Foundation and Liverpool Vision, the city's economic development company, who earlier this week announced Lloyds TSB as a headline partner for the highly prestigious event.

Now Liverpool FC is on board with three Academy players Michael Ngoo, Jamie Stephens and Stephen Sama keen to meet the young entrepreneurs.

Nineteen-year-old Liverpool Academy forward Michael Ngoo, said:

"It's a great idea and I wish when I was at school there had been a competition like this. Coming up with ideas is one thing, but putting them into action is another. This challenge encourages people to be creative and gives them the drive, ambition and commitment to succeed. These are things you also need to make it as a professional footballer."

Cllr Gary Millar, Liverpool City Council's assistant cabinet member to the leader who came up with idea for the Challenge, said:

"There's some great ideas being put forward and we're really pleased with how schools have become involved. We are grateful to Liverpool FC because it's important that childrenhave other young people who they can look up to as role models.

"Following the Dragons Den pitch, the very best 10 ideas will be assigned business mentors and given further investment in January to develop a business plan to pitch to investors in March at the Congress itself."

Max Steinberg, chief executive of Liverpool Vision, said:  

"The teams are full of entrepreneurial talent and we're looking forward to seeing them showcase their ideas.

"A trip to Washington DC is the prize on offer for two winning teams, so the competition will be tough but we know that whoever wins will be fantastic ambassadors for Liverpool."

Other prizes include a one day Keep the Cash! session delivered by Ambitious Minds for five teams of secondary school finalists. It gives an experience of what it will be like when they have to make their own financial decisions as independent adults.

For more information about the Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2012 in Liverpool, sponsorship opportunities and the Festival of Entrepreneurship fringe programme, visit www.gec2012.com. You can also follow GEC 2012 on Twitter @gec2012 and join the Facebook page www.facebook.com/gec2012