In its 17th consecutive year, the BiG Challenge is an annual enterprise competition facilitated through Sheffield City Council’s See It Be It in Sheffield Team, which aims to ignite entrepreneurial spirit, connecting young people and employers through an immersive enterprise experience.
Last year saw 188 teams enter from 19 Sheffield schools, with many re-entering this year to further develop their businesses.
Open to all Y7-Y9 students, the young people form their own teams and receive a start-up loan of £25 to design and develop their business. In addition to their teachers and home support networks, teams are mentored by volunteer Business Advisers from the Sheffield business community (you can hear from a selection of the advisors on these pages).
The Business Advisers are matched with a school, meeting regularly with the teams throughout the process to support and advise on developing their ideas.
The programme runs from September until February, during which selling opportunities at the Moor Market are offered to the teams and culminates in teams reflecting on their experience by completing a BiG Challenge Journal.
In addition to keeping any profits they make, teams are also competing to win a number of awards, sponsored by local businesses covering a range of categories including innovation, use of technology, visual media, and sustainability. The reflective journals are judged by the award sponsors, and shortlisted teams are invited to a ‘Dragons’ Den’ experience to pitch their ideas and decide the overall winner.
All winning teams in the different award categories are invited to an award ceremony and celebration event along with parents, award sponsors and special guests. Last year’s event was held at OEC Sheffield on 30th March 2023, with Kate Josephs CB, Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council, presenting the overall winning prize.
Winning teams receive workplace visits and experiences from the award sponsors which last year included a “curator experience” at the National Videogame Museum for the creativity award, and a behind the scenes visit to Sheffield Hallam University for winners of the HEPP award for aiming high.
Sheffield City Council’s See It Be It in Sheffield campaign brings to life the world of work by linking local businesses and employers with schools and colleges, providing young people with meaningful employer encounters and experiences of the workplace.
Gaynor Carr, founder of print design business Smart Station Design
Why did you decide to get involved with the competition?
I was previously involved in the I Know I Can Barnsley BiG Challenge as a business mentor back in 2012 and 2013, and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the student I was working with grow in confidence and build a highly successful business, which went on to win the overall Best Business award. I am always keen to encourage that kind of personal development so when I was invited to participate as a judge this year, I was very happy to agree.
What have been the benefits of being involved?
I always enjoy sharing what I’ve learnt from starting up and running my own successful design business, and I love to see students learn about the importance of presenting their products or services well, so they understand why branding can be so crucial in their own success. This really helps their confidence and development.
Robin Gibbons, Director of Sheffield-based online tuition agency Latimer Tuition
Why did you decide to get involved with the Big Challenge?
About a year ago, Harvey Morton, an associate of mine, recommended that I become involved with ‘See it Be it.
What have been the benefits of being involved?
I’m an extremely busy individual. To put it in perspective, I’m 22-year-old with 100% directorship, serving as the sole worker at Latimer. With a team of tutors and hundreds of clients on the books, flexible time is a rarity for me. However, when I do find a moment, I want to use it in the most worthwhile areas. I particularly enjoy the student encounters provided by SIBI. I believe I’ve successfully planted a seed in many students, conveying that being employed isn’t the only option; you’re more than capable of doing things yourself.
What have you learnt from working with the young people involved?
Young people often align their ambitions with pursuing a good job and stable employment. While I recognise the value in this, I’ve come to realise that more efforts are needed to open up additional opportunities for students to be exposed to the world of self-employment, sole-trader roles, directorship, and the broader spectrum of work and business.
Chris Cain, Director of Yorkshire training provider First Institution
Why did you decide to get involved with the competition?
First Intuition Yorkshire have worked with local schools for a number of years attending numerous careers fairs and we also run free Accountancy Academies to give students from Year 11 to 13 an insight into careers in the accounting sector. The Big Challenge is a fantastic opportunity to work with younger students from Year 7 and 8 to help advise and encourage on their business ideas and also to help them start to develop some of the key skills, for example teamwork that they will benefit from both now and going forward.
What have been the benefits of being involved?
It is extremely rewarding working with students who have such huge enthusiasm and willing to give up a lot of their free time. It’s great to see both the students and their business’ develop week by week. Working with a younger generation also provides a great opportunity to understand what they see as being important to making a business successful. It is as much a learning opportunity for me as it is for them.
What have you learnt from working with the young people involved?
There have been some incredibly creative and innovative ideas developed with a can-do attitude, without fear and with a very much the sky is the limit outlook. Their enthusiasm and positivity is infectious and inspiring.
To find out more, head to bigchallenge.biz.
