London Met runs a Challenge Prize in social enterprise for students in a number of FE Colleges across London

Recently three students were named the winners of the Big Idea Challenge, one of the UK’s fastest growing social enterprise competitions, run by London Metropolitan University. One an Italian and two Spanish – received a prestigious award from His Royal Highness The Duke of York in St James’s Palace.

Their idea? To modify an iconic London bus to create a mobile support centre, complete with showers, for the capital’s homeless. ‘Fresh Start: the bus that changes lives’ will now go forward to implementation – the prize for winning the Big Idea Challenge. Corporate sponsors are being sought to fund it, and the bus will soon be on London’s roads, making a real difference to real lives.

The recent Higher Education and Research Bill sought to challenge universities to work in new ways with schools and colleges, with closer relationships with business as part of the Industrial Strategy.

The Big Idea Challenge aims to get entrepreneurial spirits to come up with solutions to some of societies biggest problems. This year, London Met decided to extend its Big Idea Challenge to 17 colleges of Further Education across the capital.

The teams who progressed from the first round were brought to RBS’s headquarters in Liverpool Street and matched with inspirational mentors from the business world, such as Microsoft, RBS, Unilever and The Prince’s Trust, to develop their idea into a viable business.

John Whatmore, June 2017