Introduction
The University of Lincoln’s Student Enterprise Team is excited to announce the launch of the Lincolnshire Youngtrepreneur Challenge (LYC), an innovative and groundbreaking initiative aimed at promoting and developing entrepreneurial spirit among further educations (FE) students across Lincolnshire. The LYC builds on the success of the existing Swan’s Den competition which involves University of Lincoln students competing against each other in a business pitching competition to win seed funding.
The LYC will expand the core idea of Swan’s Den to focus exclusively on FE students. We are incredibly proud to have eight colleges from across Lincolnshire taking part in our inaugural competition: Lincoln College, Boston College, Riseholme College, Stamford College, Grantham College, North Lindsay College, John Leggott College, and Grimsby Institute, with this breaking down to an expected 250 students engaging with the competition.
Competition Overview
The competition will involve the Student Enterprise team visiting the eight participating colleges to deliver an “Entrepreneurship Day”, covering idea generation, developing a sustainable business and a business pitch. From this, one team will be selected from each college and put forward for a final’s day hosted by the University of Lincoln at their Brayford Campus. Each finalist team will deliver their business pitch to a panel of experts, with the team judged to have the best business idea winning a goodie bag and cash vouchers.
A Vision for the Future
As a Top-10 UK University for supporting Graduate Start-Ups, the University of Lincoln has developed a reputation as a hub for entrepreneurship and business innovation. The LYC aims to inspire participants to consider self-employment as a genuine career path, providing them with the skills, knowledge, and support needed to begin their entrepreneurial journey. By engaging students from diverse educational backgrounds across the county, the challenge seeks to promote entrepreneurship, develop transferable skills, and raise awareness of how the University of Lincoln offers an outstanding learning experience.
Quotes
Reece Leggett, Student Enterprise Manager, said: “The Lincolnshire Youngtrepreneur Challenge is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore the world of business ownership. We are thrilled to expand the competition to include further education students and look forward to seeing the innovative ideas they bring to the table.”
Mark Locking, Principal & CEO of Lincoln College Group – “Lincoln College is proud to be supporting the University of Lincoln’s Student Enterprise team on their Lincolnshire Youngtrepreneur Challenge (LYC). The knowledge and skills gained through programmes such as the LYC will benefit our budding entrepreneurs if they choose to continue on the self-employment journey. Furthermore, the transferable nature of these skills will also make them more agile, creative, and innovative as students and employees in Lincolnshire. As one of our key partners in the region, we are thrilled to be developing our relationship with the University, and we wish all students the best of the luck in the competition.”
Contact Information
For more information, please contact: Dominick McOmish, dmcomish@lincoln.ac.uk, Marketing & Events Officer, University of Lincoln Enterprise & Innovation.