Our budding young entrepreneurs from Year 13 represented Banbridge Academy with schools from across Northern Ireland in the Young Enterprise Company Programme.  They set up their businesses online this year to sell online to the general public for the first time!  During the academic year the student teams promoted and sold their products on Trading Station which has been developed by Young Enterprise as a user-friendly, digital selling marketplace allowing our student companies to experience how to market and sell their products online.  Congratulations to ‘Monkey Business Sweets’ who had fantastic success achieving the ‘Digital Marketing Award’ as well as ‘Overall Runner Up’ in the Young Enterprise Big Market Competition. Tyler Morrison, Managing Director of Monkey Business Sweets commented: “Our company started with a group of friends wishing to learn more about entrepreneurship.  We are a local business that strives to bring the people of Northern Ireland all-new candies and confectioneries from foreign lands straight to their doors.  We feel we have gained many interpersonal and employability skills from participating in the programme.”

Monkey Business was shortlisted for the Marketing and Social Media Awards

Knotted was shortlisted for the Social Media Award

Mr McLoughlin, Principal, commented: “During these unprecedented times we were delighted that so many students were able to take part in this excellent entrepreneurial opportunity. Banbridge Academy had 14 companies taking part this year and all worked tirelessly to run their businesses during difficult times.  We are delighted that ‘Monkey Business Sweets’ achieved such high accolades competing against schools from across (NI) and received recognition for their efforts and innovative marketing techniques.”

Carol Fitzsimons, MBE, CEO Young Enterprise NI, commented:  “The students have worked hard during difficult school settings this year to achieve fantastic progression in their Company Programme experience.”  Thanks go to Company Programme Patrons, Allstate, PwC and Ulster University Business School for supporting the programme.