Future Student of Business2015

Guidance Notes

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)in conjunction with Colleges Northern Ireland (CNI) is offering a scheme to reward and encourage students in Northern Ireland to be the ‘entrepreneurs of tomorrow’.

Background:- / The aim of these awards is to offer financial help to the recipients and support in the development of business skills, knowledge of the industry and commercial understanding. This is now the 12th year of the FSB Awards.
The awards will provide the student with a platform for progression in the business environment and the opportunity to become an entrepreneur of the future. The competition celebrates the best of business talent from NI’s six regional Further Education (FE) Colleges and offers them an unrivalled platform to develop their skills and have them recognised by their peers and the public.
This year NI has been awarded the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) of the Year for the period April 2015 – March 2016. This follows an application by NILGA (NI Local Government Association), supported by Invest NI. As part of this NILGA will promote the FSB Awards as part of the EER campaign across the European Union and representatives from NILGA will attend the FSB Awards ceremony in December 2015. This represents an excellent opportunity to showcase our most entrepreneurial students across Europe and globally.
Eligibility:- / To be eligible to enter for the Future Student of Business awards:-
  • Applicants must be currently studying at Level 3 and above in a business related course. Applicants may be accepted from students in non-business related courses, if the idea relates directly to business.
  • Applicants must be a full time or part time student in one of the six regional FE colleges.
  • It is preferable the student demonstrates outstanding business potential.
  • It is preferable that previous FSB Award entrants do not re-apply.

Prizes:- / The prizes for the Future Student of Business Awards have been kindly sponsored through our partners for this event – the Federation of Small Business. The prizes on offer are as follows:
  • The overall regional winner will receive a prize of £1,000
  • Bursaries of £350will be awarded to up to three students of in each of the six regional FE colleges (max 18 students)
  • Furthermore, there is a prizefor the College that submits the best video (detailed below). Please note the submission of 1 video per College is compulsory
Furthermore all 18 finalists will receive a Certificate which can be retained for CV portfolios.
Award Ceremony:- / This will take place on Wednesday 9th December 2015 – venue to be agreed (Belfast location). Minister Farry will be in attendance along other MLAs, senior personnel from the Federation of Small Businesses, Colleges NI and NILGA.
Media / PR:- / The winners’ names will be published in the FSB Awards 2015Brochure to be distributed at the Awards Ceremony and will also be published online and through various press releases.
A photographer will be invited to the Awards Ceremony for PR photo’s.
The news story from last year’s regional winner is on the following web-link, along with all the 18 winners names/colleges:
Application deadline:- / Colleges must assess all the applications by their students and set their own internal deadline for this.
Colleges can run their own mini-competitions / intra campus competitions– to ensure that the 3 best business students go through to the finals on 9th December 2015.
Colleges must then submit their Top 3 applications to Karen Lennon at Colleges NI by Friday 30 October 2015.
College Video:- / As in previous yearseach College is invited to submit a short 2 minuteVideo Clip which will played when the three students from each College go up to collect their award at the Awards Ceremony. All College videos (1 per College) should be sent to Karen Lennon at CNI byFriday 13 November 2015.
The video’s will be judged on how well the video sells each students’ business concepts/ entrepreneurial ideas. We will be using the student’s communication skills and inter personal skills portrayed within their video as part of their individual score.
The video should only include video clips from the 3 students and no other College staff. It should be a purely promotional video to showcase the student’s business idea. Each video submitted per College should be no longer than 3 minutes in duration.
Attendees at the Awards Ceremony:- / At the FSB Awards Ceremony, there will be representatives from Colleges NI, Federation of Small Business, NILGA, Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) personnel, MLAs and local politicians in attendance.
Staff in each College are encouraged to secure two senior personnel from their College to attend e.g. Principal, Chair, Governing Body Rep or SMT rep.
Furthermore each College can have a Table of Ten to include 3 Top students from the College, plus two guests per student and 1 accompanying lecturer.
Staff should ensure the Guest List formis returned to Karen Lennon at Colleges NI by 30 October 2015. See Appendix 1.
College contacts:- / The contacts in each College are disseminating information about the event to students. These staff are a mix of Marketing Staff and Enterprise /Business Studies lecturers.
Colleges NI Contact:- / Follow the FSB Awards on Twitter#CollegesFSB
To clarify any information with regards to the FSB Awards 2015 then please email .

Future Student of Business 2015

Appendix 1:

College Guest List for the Awards Ceremony on 9th December 2015

To be completed by a College representative - Please list the full names of all those attending

Name of College
College senior stakeholders – max 2 per College
E.g. Principal, Chairperson, Governing Body member, SMT rep / College Senior rep 1
College Senior rep 2
College Table of 10 / College Lecturer Name
Names of: / Student 1
Guest 1
Guest 2
Student 2
Guest 1
Guest 2
Student 3
Guest 1
Guest 2
Confirm which staff member from the list above will go on stage and collect the prizes with the 3 college students / Staff Name:
Position :

Please note any dietary requirements or disability access requirements for any of the above guests

Please return to: by 30 October 2015

Follow the FSB Awards on Twitter Twitter #CollegesFSB

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