Biotechnology and Environment YES Young Entrepreneurs Schemes Explained

Which Competition? Environment YES is for researchers working in natural environmental sciences the science needed to provide solutions to the global environmental challenges that the world is facing today and will face in the future Climate system, Biodiversity, Sustainable use of natural resources, Earth system science Natural hazards, Environment, Pollution and human health Biotechnology YES is for researchers working in Bioscience The BBSRC remit is wide and covers basic science in Plants, Microbe and Animals including Humans, Technologies that underpin practical solutions to major challenges such as climate change, food security, healthier ageing, and the control of infectious diseases would all fit well

Information

Aim:- to prepare an oral business plan presentation for a “hypothetical" company. You can do all the work there – but it’s unlikely you will win Support sessions here (provisionally end Sept – early Oct) Competition starts with regional heats over 3 days (2 nights residential) Win the regional heat (2 places) and progress to national finals

How much does it cost? To you it is FREE* a deposit is required but this can be covered by the Graduate School NB the deposit will be recovered if you do not attend * EPSRC Funded Students have to be paid for

Eligibility All research students & research staff Researching Bioscience or Environmental Science Masters students one per team must be here in December 2015

YES Dates May 29 th Application Deadline August 3 rd Briefing Session in Nottingham Sept Oct.2 nd Food, Nutrition & Wellbeing (Unilever, Colworth) October 7–9 th Environment / Chemistry YES (Nottingham) October th Biomedical YES (GSK Stevenage) October rd Biotechnology YES (Manchester) November 4-6 th Biosciecne YES (Edinburgh) November th Plant, Microbe / Environment (Syngeta, Reading) December 10 th Finals in London

How much will you have to do?

Residential Workshop/Competition over three days –Day 1 talks in morning (by patent attorneys, entrepreneurs, business plan consultants etc.) One-to-one advice with a chosen specialist and time to work on business plan –Day 2 Again, talks in the morning by various specialists in the field One-to-one advice and time for individual work Final preparations of power point presentation –Day 3 Presentations by each group to an investment panel (split into streams and one winner from each stream goes through to national final)

You should turn up with:- –The idea –Who you intend to sell to –Some sense of production costs –Awareness of competitors –What you intend to sell (product, licence) –Some consideration of Intellectual Property issues

Division of Labour If possible teams should consist of people equally committed to the competition If not, go into the team with your eyes open about what is expected of each member

What about the Idea Your idea should be based on realistic science, but currently hypothetical, winning ideas tend to be good with an intrinsic flaw 2011 Using yeast to produce high value fragrance components 2010 Nitrogen fixing bacteria fertilizer pellets 2008 Vegetarian Omega-3 oil from food industry waste 2006 GM Plants that reduce a slug’s appetite 2002 winning team assumed a micro-organism has been identified with novel enzymatic activity. Newcastle ideas, peanut allergy detector, appetite suppressing chewing gum, a preventative head lice treatment, a meat spoilage detection kit, multiple diseases all in one assay Your idea must be believable; you should be able to account for the advances in science needed to develop your imaginary technology.

The Application Simple really One person takes the lead Fills in the application and send it off. Deposit Medical Sciences Graduate School will cover deposits for teams with FMS Research students in, if you don’t attend we will need paid or FINANCE HOLD For others If you send a cheque it will only be cashed if you don’t turn up.

Summary –It’s not easy but doesn’t have to take up too much time and you get a great sense of achievement –You learn a lot of valuable skills that you don’t get elsewhere. –It’s completely free –If you’re not sure you want to stay in Academia it helps see what else is out there!