Innovative youngsters from throughout the region are set to pitch to some of the North’s leading business figures, in a bid to prove that their ideas are big enough for the real world.

Over the past seven months, young people between the ages of 11 and 20 have devised and developed ideas for a brand new ICT product, fighting their way through three gruelling rounds to reach the final of the Big Ideas ICT Youth Challenge.

Over the course of a week-long residential at Otterburn Hall Hotel, Northumberland, beginning on Monday 30th June, the final five teams will engage in activities ranging from archery, canoeing and quizzes while developing the final presentation of their ideas, which takes place on Friday 4th July.

Lisa Smith, Big Ideas Manager and Youth Challenge coordinator, says: “In the final, the judges will be looking for conclusive evidence on which team has the most innovative idea, and the vision to go on to make this a commercial reality, so it’s the big chance for the teams to really prove themselves.

“The pressure is also on for the judges, as the quality of the ideas that this year’s teams have developed means that choosing between them will be a very hard task indeed.”

The panel of judges includes Pascal Fintoni, head of e-business at the North East Regional Portal, Colin Hewitt, Partner at Ward Hadaway, Stephen Green, Head of Communications at the Entrepreneurs Forum, Jonathan Gold, Commercial Director at NStar Finance, Andy Walton, Head of Business Development at Knowledge IT, and Jason Ollivent, North of England Business Manager for Microsoft UK.

Jason Ollivent said: “Great ideas happen in exciting places and throughout history many important ideas have blossomed in the North East that have revolutionised the world - including the electric light and the steam locomotive.

“Recent developments have also seen the region becoming a beacon for Software initiatives, and the ICT Youth Challenge offers young people of the North East the chance to come up with the next big idea in ICT and at the same time gain invaluable business skills.”

After the judges’ decision is announced on Friday 4th, the overall winners will secure a range of prizes including brand new laptops, trips to Microsoft and BT’s respective UK headquarters, and virtual office facilities from which to base their fledgling business.