Six Teams Reach Final Of Young Enterprise Ni Awards Six student-led companies from schools across Northern Ireland have reached the final stage of this year's Young Enterprise NI awards – YEA25 – and will compete for the prestigious 'Company of the Year' title at a ceremony held in Belfast City Hall.

The six finalist teams, representing Bangor Academy & Sixth Form College, Royal School, Armagh, Omagh Academy, Larne High School, Dominican College, Portstewart, and Strathearn School, Belfast, were selected after presenting their business ideas to a panel of esteemed judges and a live audience at Invest NI's Belfast headquarters earlier this month.

These young entrepreneurs impressed the panel with their future-focused, innovative, and creative approaches, demonstrating passion across various business aspects including sustainability, branding, marketing, sales, and growth. Their success has earned them a place at the final awards ceremony in May, where the overall winner of the Young Enterprise NI Company of the Year 2025 award will be announced.

The winning company will also have the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland at the Young Enterprise UK Company Final Awards, with the potential to advance to the Young Enterprise European Company of the Year final in Athens later this year.

Young Enterprise NI, a leading enterprise education charity in the region, is dedicated to inspiring and educating young people about the world of business and entrepreneurship. Supported by prominent figures in Northern Ireland's business community, the organisation provides engaging and practical business experiences to empower young individuals with crucial skills such as teamwork, leadership, and financial literacy. The annual awards are a key component of their work.

Carol Fitzsimons MBE, Chief Executive of Young Enterprise NI, expressed her delight at the high level of participation and the impressive range of ideas presented this year, highlighting the passion for business, innovation, and sustainability among the students. She emphasised the importance of nurturing entrepreneurial talent for economic growth and success and thanked the many leading businesses in Northern Ireland for their support in making the awards programme possible. The judging panel for this year's competition included successful Young Enterprise alumni and founder of Send My Bag, Adam Ewart, along with Invest NI executive director Iain Joannides and Vera McWilliams from the Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade. Senior manager at Bank of Ireland Eighrean Horner, Chief Operation Officer for EY Northern Ireland Jonathan Williamson, and Chief Executive of Radius Housing John McLean OBE also contributed their expertise to the panel.

Adam Ewart, founder and chief executive of Send My Bag and a Young Enterprise Lead Partner, welcomed the finalists, noting the high quality and number of entries which demonstrated a strong appetite for entrepreneurship among young people. He stressed the importance of support and the role of Young Enterprise NI in nurturing this early interest and providing necessary connections.

Jonathan Williamson, chief operations officer for EY Northern Ireland, the awards sponsor, highlighted EY's pride in supporting entrepreneurs and their pleasure in being involved in this year's programme, recognising the Young Enterprise NI awards as a launchpad for future entrepreneurs with great ideas and the drive to succeed.

Pauline Wylie, communications manager at A&O Shearman Belfast, another sponsor of the 2025 awards, underscored their commitment to supporting young people and making a difference in their lives. She recognised the Young Enterprise NI awards programme as a unique opportunity for young people to showcase their entrepreneurial talent and develop essential skills for their working lives, with the backing of a dedicated team.

Last year's Company of the Year was awarded to students from Friends' School Lisburn for their company, Bottle Up, which created handmade flowers from recycled plastic bottles to tackle plastic waste.

Young Enterprise NI relies on the support of local businesses and stakeholders as it receives no public funding. Organisations supporting the charity through its 'Business Backers' programme include Danske Bank, Bank of Ireland, A&O Shearman, Finnebrogue, Henderson Group, Dale Farm, Musgrave, Kilwaughter, and Lynas Foods. Young Enterprise NI also expressed gratitude to Belfast City Council for providing the Great Hall for the prestigious awards ceremony.

For information on Young Enterprise NI and how you can help its vital work, visit.www.yeni.co.uk.