● The Perse School, Cambridge · 2026/27
Up for grabs
in prizes, across three awards.
Have the idea.Then make the case.
Invent an original business idea and write it up. If you make the top six, pitch it to a panel of judges. Open to Years 7–13, alone or in a team of up to three.
- Round 1 due
- 19 OctMonday, 23:59
- Finalists named
- 8 NovBy email
- The finals
- 20 NovThe PAC, after school
- Prize pool
- £800Across three awards
01 — How it works
Every step, in order.
All dates are projected and may move slightly.
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Open✓nowSign up
Sign up your team
Use the sign‑up form — the pilot has been and gone, but it’s not too late. We’ll email your team a personal link for submitting. Mention any allergies: there’s food at every event.
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Masterclass 1
How to build the idea
45 minutes in the Lecture Theatre, open to everyone who has signed up. Popcorn provided. Date projected — we’ll email every participant to confirm.
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Round 1 due
Write it up and submit it
A Word document of 250–1,000 words (1,200 at most), marked anonymously out of 100 — see the mark scheme. Upload it as a draft, then press Submit by 23:59 — drafts aren’t marked.
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Results
The six finalists are announced
Everyone who entered hears either way.
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Masterclass 2
How to pitch it — finalists only
Slides are optional; if you use them, send them as a PDF by Wednesday 18 November.
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The finals
The pitch, in the PAC
Five minutes to present, five minutes of questions, marked out of 50. Practice slots on stage during the day; the final is after school and open to families.
02 — Prizes
£800 in prizes.
£150 per person
The Dr Perse Award
The overall winner: £150 to each team member, up to £450.
£100 · Years 7–9
Young Enterprise Award
The strongest entry from Years 7 to 9.
£250
Social Impact Award
£150 to the team and £100 to a charity of its choice.
● With thanks
Made possible by.
- Adder Technology
Their generous sponsorship covers the prizes, the food and the refreshments. The Award is run by students at The Perse School — who also built this website — and we hope to open it to other schools in future. Sponsorship enquiries welcome.
