Winners of Harper Adams' Bizcom award revealed

Posted 24 March 2006

THE WINNERS of a prestigious Harper Adams University College award have been announced – and are set to join the regional final.

Judges deliberating and debating the Stage One Business Idea Competition, Bizcom, 2006 have revealed two winning entrepreneurs.
With a record number of entries, judges unanimously agreed to offer the premier award to James Moss and Thomas Evans for their innovative entry of Edible Silage Wrap. The pair have picked up £1,000 and automatic entry to the regional final of Bizcom.
The competition, which is funded by the Mercia Institute of Enterprise (MIE), is run at all West Midlands Universities and Colleges.
Each organises their own internal competition and the selected winners from each institution then go forward to the regional final - to be held on April 27th at the University of Warwick.
The overall regional winner will receive £5,000 plus another £5k worth of specialist advice and training.
At Harper Adams, a runners-up prize of £550 has been awarded to Ann Maidment, Daniel Fowler and William Neale for their new business concept of My-OLA and a second runners-up prize of £400 will be awarded to Hollie Savage, Jay Piesing, Lauren Todd and Katherine Latimer for their new business concept of MooTo Cows! 
It was further decided that a special prize was to be awarded for ‘Best Presentation’, with a prize of £50 to Anna Belton for her new business presentation ‘The Drawing Room ’
The Bizcom has been running for the last three years and for two of these previous years the Harper entry has finished second in the region and won further prize monies.
Dr Paul Adkins, organiser of the competition, said: “Unfortunately in a competition of this nature winners have to be selected. However all entrants should not take this result to infer that their business concept is in any respect unworkable or without commercial credit.
“Indeed it is worthy of note that all of the judges faced a difficult task in selecting an overall winner and so congratulations must go to all of the entrants for making our job so difficult.
“I also take this opportunity to thank all of the judges for inputting their considerable experience and in stimulating a very constructive discussion on the finer details of the business concepts.
“In particular I would like to thank our external judges Roger Hargreaves, of Ricoh UK products Ltd and Dr Robert Hartley, Chair of Shropshire Learning and Skills Council, for their support, time and invaluable contribution to the quality of the judging.”
An award ceremony for the students is set to be held within the next two months.