Five winners as hundreds enter ideas contest
A community lottery, Fairtrade pharmaceuticals, online safety workshops, a timetabling smartphone app and an allergy-friendly shopping website are all winners in the first stage of a campus-wide competition to find the next big business idea.
Enter-priZe ideas competition beermat
The five ideas are the brainwaves of Sussex students who entered the University’s 2011-12 Enter-priZe competition, which asked entrants to describe in just 50 words an idea for a new product or service.
Five hundred students – more than ever before - entered this year’s competition.
The initial ‘brainwaves on a beer mat’ stage ended last month and a winner and four runners-up were chosen in each of five categories.
Hinesh Nagaria won the category to benefit the local community with plans for a Sussex community lottery (with proceeds to the University). The four runners-up suggested a campaign for stronger health warnings on alcohol; frozen food to the homeless; a photography archive at Stanmer; and sun-tan lotion vending machines.
Jonathan Kwok’s idea of Fairtrade pharmaceuticals could change the world. Runners-up came up with a surf travel company/network; a website where users play games for charity; a website to share stories of climate adaption; and a Fairtrade electronics shop.
Rica Saleh’s brainwave to help family and friends was workshops to raise awareness about safety and data protection online. The runners-up proposed an online library (like Love Film for books); an online fancy dress shop, selling bespoke handmade costumes; inter-university phone lines; and a 3D board game to teach economics.
To help Sussex students, Nia Muzira suggested a timetabling and reading list app. Other ideas included a delivery service for hot packed lunches; an e-book library for students; weekly music events in East Slope; a Buckyball dome for events on campus; and a TV-style board that displays Uni events, paid for by selling ad space.
The judges liked Christian Ilbury’s plans to make life easier with a shopping website for people with food allergies. They also picked shoes with detachable heels; self-heating Tupperware; pre-paid library cards/debit cards on campus; and a jobs website (similar to Facebook) with IM, video interviewing, etc.
Each winner of the first stage received a £25 prize.
Organisers are now inviting any student to enter the second phase - even if they have not taken part so far - when they will be asked to submit their plan in more detail.
Following the second stage, which has a deadline of 30 January 2012, finalists will be chosen to present their finished proposal at a special black-tie event next March. The winner will receive £500 and each runner-up £125.
For more information, go the Enter-priZe web pages.
This is the fourth year that the competition has run and some previous finalists have gone on to make their ideas a reality. They include Biz Bliss, who has established Scoop, a wholefood co-op on campus; and Sama Bakr, whose Bike Train project can be seen in action most days cycling between The Level and the universities.
In addition, two of this term’s weekly Enterprise Thursdays events have featured as guest speakers a 2010-11 Enter-priZe runner-up.