Next generation of entrepreneurs

Business-savvy pupils from two local primary schools made it through to the national final of a competition which looks for talented young entrepreneurs in Wales. 

Enterprise Troopers is an annual competition run by Big Ideas Wales, the Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Service, and showcases the enterprising capabilities of 5-11 year olds from primary schools across the country. 

Pupils from Welshpool CiW Primary School (right) and Ysgol Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant (below) were part of the top 10 teams that made it to the Enterprise Troopers national final which was live streamed to a panel of judges at Cardiff Metropolitan University. 

Welshpool CiW Primary School’s team impressed the judges with their Be Plastic Aware Fair that aimed to educate and highlight the problem of plastic to the local community of Welshpool. At the final, the team were awarded the Environmental Award, as well as one of its pupils picking up the Outstanding Individual Star Trooper Award.

Meanwhile, Ysgol Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant’s team presented their business Sebon â Chalon, ‘soap from the heart’, which raised money for WaterAid by selling vegan soap in honey, raspberry and rose scented flavours and saw them pick up the Social Enterprise Award at the national final. 

Enterprise Troopers sees participating teams create and run their own enterprises, selling products or services of their choosing in their schools and local communities so they can develop key skills like team work, creative thinking and budgeting. The competition recognises the work undertaken by schools to embed enterprise, aligned to the new curriculum and the work undertaken by schools to introduce these work related experiences at this young age. 

Associate sponsor NatWest Cymru were part of the panel of judges and got to see first-hand the business ideas presented by Welsh primary school children.

Enterprise Troopers is also sponsored by Cardiff Metropolitan University, Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group (SESG), Keep Wales Tidy, ECO Schools and Buffoon Media. 

Big Ideas Wales forms part of the Welsh Government’s Business Wales service and funded by EU funds. The service is aimed at anyone between the age of 5 and 25 who wants to develop a business idea, including students and graduates.

To find out more about the competition contact http://enterprisetroopers.com/, or email hello@enterprisetroopers.com.