Community
5 July, 2024
Calling all young entrepreneurs
THE region’s emerging business entrepreneurs are being urged to pitch their ideas for a chance to win $1000 and some expert business mentoring.
Young people between the ages of 14 and 18 years are encouraged to apply through the Young Entrepreneurs Program.
The program is a joint initiative of Warrnambool City Council, the Neil Porter Legacy (NPL) and the Ideas Place, with generous support from the Demo Dairy Foundation.
It is open to young people living in the Warrnambool, Moyne or Corangamite municipalities.
Neil Porter Legacy representative Matt Porter said simply getting involved in the competition would provide young entrepreneurs with access to helpful resources and advice on refining their business idea.
“We encourage any young person with an interest in starting their own business, or who’d like to know how to create a business, to register and, who knows, you could walk away with a great prize and some expert advice on how to get started,” Mr Porter said.
Those who register to compete will receive guidance on how to create a pitch deck that summarises their business.
At the end of this first step, pitch decks are submitted electronically and an expert panel will then select a finalist from each secondary school.
The finalists will be provided with a business mentor to help them further develop their business idea and pitch.
The finalists will present at a Pitch Night where a winner will be selected.
Entrants who do not make finals will receive feedback on their business idea and pitch.
“At the core of the NPL vision is a focus on helping young people make informed career-based decisions,” Mr Porter said.
“The Young Entrepreneur Program will give young people knowledge of how to create their own business so they can decide if that’s a path they’d like to pursue.”
The overall program winner will receive $1000 in prize money to help turn their idea into a reality.
A further $500 will be awarded to the careers department of the winner’s school (or the school they last attended if they are no longer a student).
Warrnambool mayor Cr Ben Blain said the program offered young people a great incentive to chase a dream.
“We’ve got some great mentors, there’s a great prize up for grabs and this could set some people along a path to running their own business,” Cr Blain said.
Registrations will close on July 22 and can now be made at www.neilporterlegacy.com.au/young-entrepreneur-program.
Program mentors will include building designer Nathan Divall, 2023 winner of the Ideas Place pitch night (and Aussie Wool Pellets founder) Sherri Symons, dairy farmer and podcaster Chloe Brown, marketing coordinator Danielle Keilar and Nick Seymour, founder of Farmo.
