Time is running out for young entrepreneurs to win £10,000 award

The award, which closes for entries at 5pm on 6th September 2010, offers up-and-coming business owners aged 16-30 the opportunity for national recognition, as well as a substantial financial boost of £10,000 for their business. Shell LiveWIRE is one Britain’s longest running youth entrepreneur awards and was established in 1982 as a Shell Social Investment Programme.
Previous winners and finalists include Innocent Smoothies who won the Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Greater London Final in 2000 – the company’s first ever business award. Innocent has since grown from 4 staff to over 200, and now has a turnover of £128m.
James Smith, Chairman of Shell UK, said: ‘Entrepreneurial spirit is vital to getting our economy going again. The Shell LiveWIRE award can provide a very timely boost to Britain’s entrepreneurs.’
Shell LiveWIRE also supports young entrepreneurs with its Grand Ideas Awards. Every month, up to six aspiring entrepreneurs are awarded a Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award of £1,000 to fund an innovative project to help get their business idea off the ground. The enterprise scheme also hosts a business networking community at www.shell-livewire.org with 100,000 members, enabling the best business brains from every corner of the nation to share ideas, insights and inspiration with fellow entrepreneurs who understand the challenges they are facing.
Last years winner was Robert Matthams (pictured above with the award), which recognises and celebrates the achievements of the UK’s finest young entrepreneurs, in recognition of the success of Shiply.com over the past year. 
 
Shiply.com provides an online marketplace where people list items they need to move and then receive bids in a reverse auction format from over 5,000 rated transport companies going there anyway.  By making use of spare capacity in lorries, consumers can save up to 75% on their deliveries.  The business has been going for just over a year and has already saved over 1.6million kg of CO2 by making use of spare capacities.  The business has over 40,000 customers and has saved its customers over £3million in reduced transportation bills. 
To qualify for entry, applicants must be aged 16-30 and have been trading not less than three months and not more than 18 months on 6th September 2010. 
To enter the Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, visit www.shell-livewire.org