Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Awards 2018

HRH The Duke of York presented the awards to 17 graduate and student businesses chosen by universities in the North of England

YOUNG entrepreneurs must learn to be constantly adaptable, said the Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield, His Royal Highness The Duke of York, when he presented awards to some of the North of England’s brightest new businesses.

They range from software development and audio visual production to a training academy for healthy lifestyles and a recruitment platform that connects customers to cleaners.

There was also a wide variety of food and drink related start-ups, such as a new range of chickpea snacks, kits for gin infusion, a method for ethical sourcing of food and an agency that retails food products deemed “surplus” by manufacturers.

The University of Huddersfield’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre is home to The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Centre, and also hosts the annual Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Awards.

Now in its sixth year, it awards certificates to the businesses judged the best from students at universities across the North of England.

Before the ceremony, The Duke spoke individually and in depth to the entrepreneurs behind the 17 award-winning businesses.

Then, in a ceremony hosted by Philip Clegg – Head of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at the University of Huddersfield – His Royal Highness handed out framed certificates.

He then told the assembled entrepreneurs that their ideas look to him as if they could be very successful, from immediate first impressions – and first impression were important, as he knew from his experience of three-minute pitching sessions Pitch@Palace.

He drew on his background in the armed forces to advise the entrepreneurs that they must always be prepared to adapt their plans and ideas.  Whatever the nature of their businesses, continuous change management was vital, said His Royal Highness.