PROGRAMME
Thursday 1st May 2025 • Belfast City Hall
YOUNG ENTERPRISE AWARDS 2025 Event Sponsors
Thank you and welcome
Welcome to the Young Enterprise Awards 2025!
I am delighted to welcome you to this celebration of our Young Enterprise students who have set up and run their own student businesses this year. We also celebrate the achievements of all the young people, educators, and business volunteers that we have worked with over the year to bring enterprise, financial and entrepreneurship education to life in the classroom. This year up to 100,000 young people aged 5-25 will have the opportunity to develop the skills they need for future success in life and work. This is only possible due to the support of Young Enterprise partners and Business Backers, the commitment of our school partners, business mentors and supporters. Thank you all.
Share your #YEA25 experience
Young Enterprise NI
Young Enterprise NI @YoungEnterpriseNI
Judith Totten MBE, Chair, Young Enterprise NI
YEA25 Programme
6:30pm Arrival and drinks reception (Supported by Clockwise & SHS)
7:00pm Pete Snodden and Sarah Travers, Young Enterprise Ambassadors
Welcome our YEA25 Area Winners
Welcome from Judith Totten MBE, Chair, Young Enterprise NI
Music by Gilah Greig
7:30pm Dinner
Grilled Supreme of Chicken, Sweetcorn Puree, Champ Chip, Alsace Bacon, Popcorn Beurre Noisette, Caramelised Pearl Onion & Chicken Jus Gras
Seasonal Vegetables
8:30pm Fireside chat with Young Enterprise Alumni
Hosted by Sarah Travers
8:45pm Dessert
Homemade Sticky Toffee Pudding (Hot), Toffee Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream Tea and Coffee
9:15pm Young Enterprise Awards 2025
Danske Bank Sustainability Challenge
Start Up Programme Winner
Team Programme Winner
Company Programme: Area Winners
Outstanding Performance in Ulster University Young Enterprise Assessment
Company Programme: Potential to Export
Company Programme: Special Recognition
Company Programme: Company of the Year Runner-Up
Company Programme: Company of the Year NI Winner
10:15pm Close
Young Enterprise Supporters
Lead Parter
Send My Bag
Project Partners
Danske Bank, , Radius Housing, The Rank Foundation, Ulster Garden Villages Trust
ESG Partners
A&O Shearman, Bank of Ireland, Dale Farm, Finnebrogue, Henderson Group, Invest NI, Kilwaughter, Lynas, Musgrave
Impact Partners
AbbeyAutoline, Allstate, Assa Abloy, Eakin Healthcare, EY, Institute of Export Foundation, Upstream Other Supporters
Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, Belfast City Council, Business Eye, Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council, Derry City & Strabane District
Council, Enkalon Foundation, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, Mid Ulster Borough Council, Northern Ireland
Electricity, The Community Foundation, Crane Charitable Funds, Ulster Bank, St James’ Place Foundation, James Kane Foundation, Innovate UK
Business Backers
YE10
Abbeycentre, Belfast Tech Week, Davidson McDonnell, First Derivative, Full Circle, Legacy Resources, Linenbundle, The White Horse
YE5
Alchemy, Arthur Cox, ATTNx, Balloo Hire Centres, Bank of England, Best of Belfast, Blink Parties, Blue Sky Video Marketing, British Business Bank, Business First, CIDO, Clarendon Fund Managers, Clearbox, Clockwise, Edge Innovate NI, Everquote, Eximo, Export Explore, George Best Belfast City Airport, Gilbert Ash, Keenan Recruitment, Lancia Consult, Leaf, Louise Brogan, MAD Colour, Lucas Executive Search, Ormeau Labs, Roof Window Specialists, Rushmere Shopping Centre, Sugar Snap, Tarasis Enterprises, Telestack, The Foundation, Veolia, Westmond Logistics, Woodside Logistics Group, Workplus.
YEA25 Judges
The judging panel of YEA25 Company Programme awards include some of Northern Ireland’s foremost business leaders. They had the difficult task of interviewing our six Company Programme finalist companies and deciding tonight’s winners.
Company Programme Judges
Adam Ewart Send My Bag
Eighrean Horner Bank of Ireland
Vera McWilliam Institute of Export Foundation
Iain Joannides Invest NI
John McLean, OBE Radius Housing
Jonathan Williamson EY
Company Programme Area Winners
BELFAST
PRINTED PETALS
Strathearn School
@printed.petals
Plantable greeting cards.
NORTHEAST
PAWS & PIECES
Larne High School
@paws_pieces
Gifts for pets made from recycled materials.
NORTHWEST
PEBBLES BY THE PORT
Dominican College, Portstewart
@pebblesbytheport
Handmade pebble frames.
Thank you to all of the volunteer Business Advisers and teachers who supported our Company Programme students this year.
SOUTHWEST
MINTED MINDS
Omagh Academy
@mintedminds.oa
“Save With Dave” - A financial education book for children.
SOUTHERN
CIRCLE OF SEASONS
Royal School Armagh
@circleofseasons_rsa
Sustainable seasonal wreaths.
SOUTHEAST
BEEZ KNEEZ
Bangor Academy & Sixth Form College
@beez_kneez_ye_basfc
Eco-friendly beewax wraps and spike wraps.
Start Up Programme
Start Up is the ultimate employability and entrepreneurship experience for Higher and Further Education students. Start Up programme gives university and college students the opportunity to develop employability skills and prepare for the world of work. Start Up participants set up and run their company for up to 12 months.
BEADS & NEEDS
Northern Regional College, Ballymena @yebeadsneeds
Handmade cat and dog bandanas and phone charms made from recycled materials.
CRYSTAL COVE
Northern Regional College, Ballymena @the_crystal_cove
Hand Made Jewellery using donated gems and beads.
Start-Up Programme Judges
Ellen Yates
Taylor Yates
SNAPBRICK
Davy Milliken
Lynas Foodservice
Northern Regional College, Ballymena
@Snap_Brick
Custom lego sets and keychains.
3DXTREME
Northern Regional College, Ballymena
@3dxtremegroup
3D printed glow-in-the-dark animals.
Team Programme
The only programme of its kind in the UK, Team programme supports young people with learning difficulties or disabilities to learn about business & run a real company at their own pace. Team Programme is an enterprise journey, designed to aid young people’s transition from education into independent living and employment.
Customised umbrellas. DRIP DROP Park School, Belfast
Danske Bank Sustainability Challenge
The Danske Bank Sustainability Challenge is in its 3rd year and an important part of the Business Beginnings programme. The programme allows primary school pupils aged 10-11 to start a business with their classmates. The Danske Bank Sustainability Challenge encourages them to create ecofriendly and sustainable companies.
After making a poster or 60 second video, their entries are judged each term by a Danske Bank panel of judges and the winner awarded a £100 prize for their class.
Ulster University Assessment
The Young Enterprise Ulster University Assessment is an opportunity for the students to be recognised by Ulster University for their active participation in the Company Programme. The assessment is a reflective piece of work that encourages the students to analyse their Company Programme journey with a particular focus on their skills development.
We need your support: Become a Business Backer
Young Enterprise is an enterprise education charity empowering young people with skills for life and work.
We believe the potential of young people is unlimited. Why? Because for over 30 years we have shared their energy and enthusiasm and admired their strength of character.
We provide young people with opportunities to shine through experiences.
We have been creating and developing programmes that complement the school experience and encourage young people to realise the extent of their own talents.
Each year up to 100,000 young people aged 5-25 learn the fundamental skills of businessresilience, team work, creativity, problem solving, financial management and communicationrelevant to the daily lives of each and every young person.
INVEST
IN FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS
You can help them realise their potential by becoming a Young Enterprise Business Backer from just £50 per month at yeni.co.uk/ business-backers
Company Programme support - L-R: , John McLean, OBE, Chief Executive at Radius Housing and Carol Fitzsimons, MBE, Chief Executive at Young Enterprise NI
Belfast City Council for the the use of Belfast City Hall as venue for the Young Enterprise Awards 2025 THANK YOU
Event sponsors - L-R: Jonathan Williamson, Chief Operation Officer at EY, Carol Fitzsimons, MBE, Chief Executive at Young Enterprise NI and Pauline Wylie, Communications Manager at A&O Shearman
