We will be the headline sponsor at this year’s I Know I Can (IKIC) Big Challenge awards ceremony in Barnsley.

The IKIC Big Challenge aims to increase the number of new businesses in Barnsley, by inspiring young people and giving them the opportunity to experience first-hand practical experience of running an enterprise. The evening will take place on Wednesday 23 May at The Civic, and will celebrate team efforts and accomplishments throughout the challenge.

The challenge was launched at the beginning of December, when nine teams across secondary schools in Barnsley formed their business groups, with the aim of being the team who makes the most profit. By the end of the year, the students become more business-minded and develop their skills, encouraging them to aspire for greater ventures in the future.

So far, teams have been involved in a range of market stalls inside Barnsley Market, to raise their team’s profits, as well as doing a ‘Dragons Den’ style pitch, making business proposals to a panel of judges to win additional prizes.

The students involved were so passionate about what they were doing. It was really good to see people trying so hard and coming up with those ideas that you wished you could come up with when you were at school. It’s worth it just for the energy that is created in a simple meeting.

Gaynor Carr, The Smart Station, Entrepreneurial Mentor