Intelligent Innovators competition at GCHQ invites young people to pitch new business ideas to judges

Year 9 (ages 13-14) pupils from schools across the county are being encouraged to come up with new business ideas for the re-run of a successful Intelligent Innovators competition to be held at GCHQ in Cheltenham next year.

Based on the huge success of last year’s event, it was decided to repeat the competition by inviting pupils to take part and come up with ideas around a number of different themes to pitch to a panel of ‘judges’. Pupils will be asked to think of an innovation associated with a theme such as a mobile device, business technology, cyber security to help keep people safe online or alternatively anything imaginative and original that would help make a busy business person’s life easier.

Working in teams of six pupils, the pitch would need to include aspects of finance, advertising and marketing; challenging the pupils to think about the essential business processes of coming up with a business idea, promoting it and making money.

The date for the Finals in front of a judging panel will be on 30th April 2014 and the competition is being organised by GCHQ and the Education Business Partnership (EBP), part of GFirst LEP that works closely with schools across the county to help prepare young people for the workplace with practice job interviews and essential business skills.

The closing date for schools to enter the competition is February 2014 and because of the overwhelming success of last year’s event, schools are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment.

Deputy Head of Technology at GCHQ said: “We have so many talented youngsters in the county and we were really impressed with the quality of ideas and enthusiasm that was demonstrated in last year’s competition.

“I’m absolutely delighted that we are repeating this competition which will bring schools and businesses closer together.”

David Owen, Chief Executive, GFirst LEP added: “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to engage with schools and to encourage young people to think about innovation and the related business processes of successfully taking a product or service to market.

“It’s of vital importance to the future economic growth of the county that young people are encouraged to think about new products and services and the necessary business skills to equip them well into the future workplace.”

For more information about this competition, please contact Katherine Johnson at GFirst LEP on 01452 563354.