Global
Inter-University Competition
Grand Prizes
From £500 to £2000 for winners (and more!)
Spring 2022
March – May 2022
The Harmonious Entrepreneurship Online competition this year is designed to encourage and help UWTSD and IUMW University students and staff learn about entrepreneurship through generating practical and innovative new ventures that address the sustainability challenge.
Interdisciplinary Teams of up to 6 people (which may include two staff members, provided there are 4 students) will compete online by developing an idea for an entrepreneurial start-up that addresses the Sustainability Challenge, meets the Harmonious Entrepreneurship criteria and embraces the triple bottom line of profit-planet-people.
Six Teams from stage one will be invited to research their idea more fully and present it orally and in writing to a panel of expert judges. All entrants will receive a certificate of participation and feedback. The three winning teams will receive a cash prize, mentoring and support, with the possibility of membership of an online start-up Business configurator, Circklo, depending on suitability.
Stage 1
- Participants present their idea in a short, written proposal.
- Participants who reach this stage will prepare a written plan and oral pitch, demonstrating the commercial feasibility of the proposal and determining funding requirements for the venture.
- Prizes are awarded per team (not per entrant) to support winning business endeavours on to their next stages.
- 1st prize: £2,000 2nd prize: £1,000 3rd prize: £500
In addition to the financial prizes, the judges will provide feedback to all competitors, and mentorship and funding advice to those who reach the final.
Note: Intellectual Property
Without the protection of ideas, businesses and individuals would not reap the full benefits of their inventions. For more information on Intellectual Property visit the UK Government website or Malaysian Government website
HES is an online inter-university competition for teams of students and staff (from any discipline) from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the International University of Malaya-Wales. However, in the academic year 22/23, the competition will be open to students from any university across the world.
Team Information
- Up to 6 members
- Teams can include up to two members of university staff (provided there are 4 students)
- Has the team clearly described the idea?
- Does the idea meet the HES criteria?
- Is the idea original or an improvement on existing solutions?
- Has the team considered how the ideas will be implemented? Have they considered any problems that might occur and how they will overcome them??
- Is the team convincing? Do they have the knowledge, skills and collaborative ethos fot to make the team work?
- Is the proposal clear and convincing? Is it persuasive?
Phase Two Criteria
- Is the executive summary, clear comprehensive and compelling?
- Is the problem clearly identified and show how the proposed solution will address it?
- Is the business model explained and show how the venture will produce a bottom line of profit, people and planet?
- Does the proposal meet the HES criteria?
- Are there compelling stakeholder benefits to a clearly defined target markers?
- Are there clear financials included? (Does not have to demonstrate project is feasible)
- Are funding requirements stated with a plan on how it will be repaid?
- Is the team convincing? Do they have the experience needed?
- Has the learning that has taken place been captured?
Competition Dates
Launch Event: | 2 March 2022 |
Registration by: | 7 March 2022 |
Stage 1 deadline for written proposals: | 27 March 2022 |
Stage 2 finalists: Deadline for written plans | 10th June 23:59 UK / 11th June 6:59 AM MY |
Stage 2 finalists: 30-minute oral pitches (incl. Q&A): | 15th or 16th June (9.15 AM -12 PM) UK, (16.15-19.00) MY |
Award Event: | 30th June 9:30 AM UK/16: 30 MY |
Why Join the Competition?
Competition Guidelines
Competition Launch Event
Innovative Students Addressing the Sustainability Crisis
Lucy Hughes graduated from the University of Sussex in 2019 with a degree in Industrial Product Design. In 2020 she launched Marina Tex based on her final year project. The business produces home compostable bioplastic that could replace single-use plastic and help resolve the global problem of plastic pollution.
Award-winning Jeremiah Thoronka from Sierra Leone is a Masters Degree student at Durham University. At the age of 17, when he was an undergraduate in Rwanda, he invented Optim Energy, a device that generates electricity by pressure, heat, vibrations and the weather.
Leigh-Kathryn Bonner set up Bee Downtown while studying at North Carolina State University. The business involves selling hives to corporate partners and maintaining them on their behalf, thus providing a supply of honey, an opportunity for employees to learn from the bees and a healthy habitat for the bees themselves.
Additional Competition Resources
Circklo
Big Wales
Inspiring Sustainable Projects
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
How Enterprising Are You? Take 5 Minutes to Find Out!
Are you someone who sees opportunity in all areas of life? To be enterprising is to keep your eyes open and your mind active. It’s to be skilled, confident, creative, and disciplined enough to seize opportunities that present themselves…regardless of the economy
Take this short skills assessment quiz by Enterprise Catalyst and find out how enterprising you really are!
HES Online Competition Organisers
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
International University of Malaya-Wales
Harmonious Entrepreneurship Society
In Partnership With
Part Funded by Welsh Government
EntreComp
Big Ideas Wales
iungo Solutions
International Institute for Creative Entrepreneurial Development (IICED)
Circklo