Student entrepreneurs on a mission to prevent bike thefts impressed judges in an annual business competition for schools.
Team Sparta from The King’s Academy, Coulby Newham, came up with My Chip, a wristband and app tracking device, which they said would “revolutionise the bike security market”.
Their idea and presentation saw them shortlisted at the annual Emmanuel Schools Foundation (ESF) Business Game, a challenge set over a week in which teams have to establish a business, develop a product or service having done market research and then present to a panel of judges.
Three Year 9 teams from each of the four ESF schools took part – Emmanuel College, Gateshead, Bede Academy, from Northumberland, Trinity Academy, Doncaster and The King’s Academy, which also hosted its sister schools in the final.
The businesses had to demonstrate commercial awareness by working out finances, develop ideas for a website and other marketing, consider sales and distribution, and show corporate social responsibility by choosing a charity to receive a share of profits.
Team Sparta chose Re-cycle, which donates bikes to Africa, as its charity.
The winners of the competition were from Bede Academy, whose shopping device Pro-Scan logs the expiry date of purchased food then sends text alerts to warn of produce nearing its use-by date, along with recipe ideas for how to use it.
The other teams from The King’s Academy were Infinity with their Chew Chew healthy express meals for children and Team Beyond, whose products were gloves and sweatbands for runners which monitor and record data such as pace and heartbeat.
Adam Cooper, head of business, IT and economics at The King’s Academy, who organised the final, said: “I have been thoroughly impressed by the creativity, thought and preparation shown by all the businesses.”
John Inglis-Jones, executive officer at Anglican International Development, who was accompanied by fellow judges Debbie Schofield, from ESF, and Ruth Watson, from Middlesbrough Football Club’s Enterprise Academy, added: “I know from many years working in corporate finance that it isn’t easy to come up with a concept, work out the finances and get an idea under way. Everybody did extremely well and the standard was very high.”