For the 18th consecutive year, the Awards celebrated the contributors and winners of this year’s annual enterprise competition.
The BiG Challenge sees young people from across Sheffield showcase their entrepreneurial spirit through a city-wide contest, where they are tasked with designing and developing their very own business.
The unique initiative, facilitated through Sheffield City Council’s See It Be It in Sheffield team, connects young people with employers and encourages them to think outside the box to develop a unique proposition.
It is launched in secondary schools every September to Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils. This year, judges were challenged with choosing winners from 180 team entries across 17 Sheffield schools, involving over 600 young people.
Encouraging entrepreneurial skills and thinking in Sheffield’s young people is one of our many ambitions as a city.
The BiG Challenge is unique to Sheffield and enables our young people to start this journey from age 11. This hands-on experience will help them to build business understanding, creativity and other skills needed if they were to run their own business in the future, or for future employment in general. These are all things we need in our growing local economy.
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee at Sheffield City Council
With a startup loan of £25, each team is tasked with creating a business, which includes selling their products and services at the Moor Market in the city centre and pitching their ideas in a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style presentation.
Each award is sponsored by a different employer or business, who took to the stage to present their winners with a unique prize including work placement experiences to support students with their future careers.
Many of the award sponsors are acting Business Ambassadors for See It Be It, who volunteer their time to mentor teams throughout the competition and regularly commit to offering valuable employer encounters to Sheffield schools.
The host of this year’s awards is Stevan Parkin, Founder of EdTech, Twitch Partner and former BiG Challenge participant.
I am actually Big Challenge alumni. When I competed, I didn’t actually win the Big Challenge, but the skills and everything I learnt by being a part of it absolutely transformed my pathway and my career pathway, my career development, for when I left school.
Just being a part of the Big challenge is absolutely instrumental for your development.
Stevan Parkin, Founder of EdTech, Twitch Partner and former BiG Challenge participant
Big Challenge Award Winners:
- The HLM Architects Award for Teamwork: 5 Jewels, High Storrs School
- The British Business Bank Award for Creativity: Hooks and Stitches, Newfield Secondary School
- The Sheffield Pride of Place Award for Problem Solving: Bejewelled Crafts, Newfield Secondary School
- The hepp Award for Aiming High: Torched Views, Lotus Academy
- The Henry Boot Award for Sustainability: Acorn Girls, King Edward VII School
- The Seven Hills Creative Award for Use of Technology: TOTE-ally Handmade, Forge Valley School
- The Rebus Creative Award for Marketing and Sales: Curious Crafts, Forge Valley School
- The Made in Sheffield Award: Print Inc, Newfield Secondary School
- The SCCCC Award for Making a Difference: Acorn Girls, King Edward VII School
- The Welcoming Cultures Award for Pride in Culture: SYRR, Parkwood Academy
- The Kitlocker Award for Outstanding Reflective Journal: Acorn Girls, King Edward VII School
- The MGRW Award for Biggest Profit: Curious Crafts, Forge Valley School
- The Dragons Award for the Best Pitch at Dragons Den: 5 Jewels, High Storrs School
- The Sheffield City Council BiG Prize Award for Outstanding Achievement: Print Inc, Newfield Secondary School
For more information about the See it Be in Sheffield Campaign, go to the council website.