After serious work in length of 2 months, winners of the competition „In friends with business” being held among students of the Ventspils University College (the VeA) have been found out. We are ready to announce the results!

Four student teams 2 months worked on research of business ideas within the competition at the Ideas’ workshop in order to fight for the main prize – exchange of experience trip or funding to develop product prototype.

As participants of the competition admitted, the first steps towards their own business was not easy, however there were always mentors beside consulting questions of marketing and business plan development, also exchange of experience trips were organized. And in moments when it seemed that they will not manage to unite studies in the VeA and a parallel work on establishment of own enterprise, there was an opportunity to find the right support words.

As a reminder – authors of 4 ideas fought for the main prize:   

• „Development of a computer game” [author: Mārtiņš Grigors]
• „A printing company” [authors: Klāvs Jansons, Rihards Saksons]
• „Production of ecologically friendly raincoats” [authors: Agnese Kadika-Skadiņa, Inta Lapsiņa] 
• „Itinerant trade of foodstuffs” [author: Niklāvs Šnepsts] 

When looking back at the achieved results it can be clearly said that students of the VeA have creative potential that can be turned into implemented business ideas.

Also the commission who evaluated business plans of students recognized that all ideas are worth attention, however Inta Lapsiņa and Agnese Kadika-Skadiņa managed to prove that their idea about production of raincoats must receive a pass to business world – girls will receive financial support for development of raincoat samples.

„Participation in the competition was one of the factors facilitating us to start implementation of the own idea. Recognition won in the competition gives additional motivation, sense of responsibility and satisfaction, as well as guides us towards reaching higher aims. The won money prize will obviously be invested in development of our business idea and preparation of the first raincoat samples. Thanks to the team of the VHTP Business Incubator for believing in our idea and provided support for its implementation! – said becoming entrepreneurs Inta and Agnese.

Positive is a fact that the competition has captured broader interest from students, and recently a new enterprise ECOtex LTD. joined the Ideas’ workshop. Establishers of the enterprise are two master students of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of the VeA wishing to turn their hobby into entrepreneurship and currently are working to develop their business plan – girls plan to produce products facilitating human health and feeling of comfort. We hope that all the planned will succeed and very soon the ECOtex will present its production to a broader audience.

Organizers of the competition express their gratitude to all who helped to arrange the competition – to participants for patience and attraction, to the Ventspils University College for cooperation, to commission for straight ideas’ evaluation – and remind that the Ideas’ workshop is always open to new ideas. Therefore if you have an idea you believe in but lack conviction or knowledge to start up business, get in touch with us and agree on a meeting time in order to discuss the business idea and plans for its implementation.

The competition “In friends with business” had been organized within the project “Small Innovative Business Promotion Network (SIB Net)” funded by the Estonian-Latvian cross-border cooperation programme.