Third prize in national enterprise competition for Surya

20th November 2015

A budding entrepreneur who set up a business to simplify accounting for SMEs has been awarded a prize of £750 in the Edge Challenge ? a national enterprise competition. <br><br>Surya Srinivas Dinavahi (19), a student at Barking & Dagenham College, submitted his business proposal, including financial and marketing plans, alongside hopefuls from all over the country.

Following his success in front of a judging panel in London he joined two other individuals and one team in a winners showcase at The Skills Show in Birmingham on Thursday 19 November 2015 – and Surya’s innovative idea and excellent business sense won him third prize.

Theo Paphitis, Patron of The Skills Show and former Dragon, awarded Surya £750 to go towards developing his business, Adept Consultants.

Surya, who is studying for a BTEC Subsidiary Diploma in Business at Level 3, says:

“This was a wonderful opportunity from Edge and it has been an experience of a lifetime. I'm looking forwad to developing my business using the skills I have learned.

"I’m delighted to have taken part and it’s really helped me to develop my confidence. It's a great feeling to be successful. Now, I have a bigger dream, to make my business a success story and I feel very excited about the future."

First and second prizes in the individual competition were awarded to Hassan Iqbal and Daniel Arundel respectively, both from Oldham College. The team prize was won by Callum Coles and Samuel Roberts from Cirencester Sixth Form College.

The Edge Challenge is run by independent education charity, the Edge Foundation in partnership with the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy and the Gazelle Colleges Group. It aims to help young entrepreneurs get their business start-ups off the ground.

David Harbourne, Acting CEO of the Edge Foundation, says:

“Surya has shown remarkable business sense at such a young age and so it’s really a pleasure to be able to fund his ambitions and set him on the path to success. The Edge Challenge sets out to find the next generation of entrepreneurs and in Surya it’s certainly done that.”

Peter Jones CBE, Founder of the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy says:

“Here at the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy we have thoroughly enjoyed being involved in the Edge Challenge, delivered by the Edge Foundation, in partnership with the Gazelle Colleges Group. Surya is a deserving winner of the £750 prize. I hope that future Academy students will be inspired by his success and gain the confidence and drive to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.”

Fintan Donohue, CEO, Gazelle Colleges Group, says:

“On behalf of Gazelle Colleges Group I am delighted to offer my congratulations to Surya for coming 3rd. Entrepreneurship offers valuable lessons, many of them outside the world of business start-ups. The skills, attitudes and knowledge that are developed through competitions such as the Edge Challenge and in our own Gazelle Colleges mean that these young people are confident, resilient and resourceful individuals, better equipped than most to progress and succeed in the world of work.”