Forresters backs a programme for Chester entrepreneurs
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We are thrilled to be supporting a programme that helps inventive entrepreneurs reach their full potential.
We are backing the University of Chester’s popular The Venture Programme, which culminates in The Venture Pitch 2021 – a two day virtual event where students and graduates vie for a range of prizes. The prizes include a two hour trade mark consultancy with Forresters along with a £200 cash prize, which can be spent on official fees for applying to register a trade mark or design, payable to the UK government’s Intellectual Property Office.
The Venture Pitch 2021 takes place on 14th and 15th June and will include a day of workshops and master classes, with support for entrepreneurs looking to start their first business. The following day will see students and graduates pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges, and ends with announcements and awards.
Partner Kate Cruse, based in our Liverpool office, expressed how proud we were to support the initiative. “It is fantastic to be involved in this programme, which gives students and graduates a head start with their new business,” she said. “In the lead up to The Venture Pitch 2021 I spoke to students about the importance of protecting their intellectual property. Everyone taking part in The Venture Programme is really switched on and has a good grasp of what’s needed to be successful in business, so they know that securing patents and trade marks is important. The standard of entries this year is really high, with students coming from disciplines across the university such as psychology, events management, interior design and gender studies. We’ve always had a good relationship with the university and we are pleased to be able to offer the Forresters Prize for another year.”
Kirsty Badrock, entrepreneurship co-ordinator at the University of Chester, explained the decision to hold The Venture Pitch as a virtual event again was made for a number of reasons. “We had to make a decision in December about whether to hold the event virtually or not, and decided to err on the side of caution,” she said. “However, we also carried out a survey with students who said they found last year’s programme even more accessible because it had been hosted virtually. This has led to us having a record number of students taking part, with more than 1,000 attendees this year”.
“Every year the event becomes more popular, and for the first time this year we’ve been able to open it up to more new businesses, with 14 due to pitch to the judges.
“These businesses span a diverse range of sectors, with ideas such as music-based after school clubs, the distribution of affordable carbon fibre wheelchairs, and the fitting and styling of prescription glasses in a fraction of the time usually expected”.
