Aspiring entrepreneurs invited to pitch their ideas for annual UHI business competition
Aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to pitch their business ideas for a chance to win cash prizes and valuable support packages in the 2025 UHI Business Competition.
The annual competition is open to all University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) students and anyone over 16 living in Argyll and Bute, Highlands and Islands, Moray, or Perthshire.
Now in its nineteenth year, it seeks to discover and support innovative business ideas, giving participants a strong start on their own entrepreneurial journeys.
Run by CREATE, the Highlands and Islands Hub for Enterprise and Innovation, the competition equips participants with essential entrepreneurial skills for work, life and self-employment.
This year, a total prize fund of £8,500 is available, alongside support packages in accountancy, legal advice and information technology. Finalists will also receive invaluable feedback from leading regional business experts.
Last year’s top prize went to Keith Wilcox from Dufftown, who impressed judges with his paddleboard safety product company, ‘Lodestone Leashes’.
Keith won £1,000 and a legal and accountancy package, sponsored by Harper Macleod LLP and Johnston Carmichael. The prize allowed Lodestone Leashes to attend several key paddleboarding events and secure its first sales of 100 patent-pending, automatic-release leashes.
Keith shared: “I'd highly recommend the UHI Business Competition as a friendly, supportive, early step for any entrepreneur with an idea.
“The benefits extended far beyond the prize. We secured an Innovation Voucher with the Glasgow School of Art to develop our designs for large-scale production, along with support from Highland and Islands Enterprise, which is helping us to enter other key business competitions and move closer to being investor ready.”
Roz Thomas, enterprise lecturer and lead of the UHI Business Competition, said: “We recognise the importance of nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit and the potential for innovative ideas to drive economic growth. This competition is open to aspiring entrepreneurs from all walks of life, supports local talent and provides a platform for individuals to turn ideas into reality.
“It’s much more than just a competition; it's the opportunity to be part of a community that values creativity, collaboration and forward-thinking. If you have a business idea with potential to make a lasting impact, enter now!”
Alishia King, a Social Sciences student at UHI Inverness, entered last year with her innovative solution to potholes, using a heated tar and old tyre mixture.
She said: “It was an amazing experience and learning process. If you strive and believe in yourself, nothing is impossible. The possibilities are endless.”
Entries close at noon on Wednesday, February 26 2025, and finalists will be invited to pitch their ideas at UHI House on finals day, Wednesday, March 26 2025.
