The competition was part of the institution's involvement in the national Pathways4Recovery initiative, which aims to provide economically inactive and unemployed individuals with the opportunity to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions by removing financial barriers.

Held on the University’s Luton campus by the Research & Innovation Service (RIS), a group of entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to share their business ideas and practice their pitching skills in front of a panel of judges that included Mohammad Azam, Senior Lecturer and MBA Portfolio Lead at the University – and industry experts such as Debbie Lewis, Regional Ecosystem Manager for NatWest Business.

Andy Kirtland, an alumnus of the University of Bedfordshire, secured second place in the competition for his work founding Neurodiversity Inspire – a social and sporting enterprise committed to unlocking the potential of neuro-diverse individuals.

This event is just one of the ways that the University is dedicated to supporting start-ups and businesses through RIS. Bedfordshire was recently recognised for its entrepreneurial achievements, ranking first in a study of the UK's most entrepreneurial universities.

Chris Fox, event co-host and RIS Pathways Project Manager, said: “It was brilliant to host this event which was dedicated to celebrating the remarkable participants of the University of Bedfordshire’s Pathways4Recovery initiative. Luton's outstanding achievement in attracting start-up ventures and for sustaining a thriving ecosystem of independent and sustainable businesses is testament to the collaborative efforts between the University and our regional partners.”

He continued: “When the University was recently recognised as a leader in social enterprise start-ups, we took immense pride in our contributions to the business sector – particularly in nurturing entrepreneurship that makes a positive and lasting impact within our local community.”

Alongside the competition, the event provided an opportunity for participants of the Pathways4Recovery programme who have started their own businesses to showcase their products and services to attendees.