Sheffield entrepreneur's initiative praised by energy MP
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The #AdamStart Entrepreneurship Challenge is organised by Queen’s Young Leader Adam Bradford, aged 24 from Waterthorpe, and was this week acknowledged by the Secretary of State for Business and Energy Greg Clark.
In the same week, Adam also unveiled the winner of his challenge which rewards young people with promising business ideas which change the world.
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Hide AdThe competition, which originally launched as a part of Sheffield’s Learnfest festival in 2013, has supported young entrepreneurs to get started in business through a mixture of a start-up grant, mentoring and networking opportunities.
This year’s winner is 19-year-old Walid Ijassi from Morocco whose business turns waste apples into consumer products, employing young women in the process. This year was the first time the competition opened its doors to entries from across the globe and almost 30 countries were represented in the competition’s applications.
Adam said: “Walid is an exceptional young person and I am delighted to give him my backing. I can’t wait to see what he achieves next year.”
MP Greg Clark praised the initiative, saying: “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and Adam Bradford’s new initiative, the Adam Start Entrepreneurship Challenge, is an inspiring competition to support aspiring young entrepreneurs looking to get their start-up ideas off the ground. This government believes that wherever you live and whatever your age, everyone deserves the chance to turn a great business idea into a reality and Adam’s work to encourage young, creative entrepreneurs exemplifies this spirit.”
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Hide AdAdam started his business, aged 14, with the support of the BiG Challenge enterprise competition and has since gone on to champion social causes undertake a number of business roles. He received an award from the Queen this year in recognition of his work.