July 13, 2011 9.54 am This story is over 152 months old

Lincoln school wins Dragons’ Den award

Pitch perfect: A Lincoln school wins an award for their business idea pitch in Dragon’s Den.
Oliver, Aimee and Abigail from Lincoln Castle Academy, with Dragons Deborah Meaden and Duncan Bannatyne.

Budding entrepreneurs from Lincoln Castle Academy scooped the Best Idea Award for their business pitch to the Dragons of BBC’s Dragons’ Den on July 11.

The “Dragons’ Den Goes Back to School” project saw Year 10 pupils from four schools, including Lincoln Castle Academy, head to the BBC’s MediaCityUK at Salford Quays for a special screening of Dragons’ Den and a tour of the BBC’s new facilities.

Students from Lincoln Castle Academy worked on a business idea set by Peter Jones, multi-millionaire entrepreneur and one of the Dragons, when he contacted the school in April.

Their business plan to refurbish old computers and help get the over-50s online was a hit, earning them the Best Idea Award for their innovative and viable concept that appealed to all five Dragons.

In the special screening, the schools found out which Dragons were in and which were out for their business ideas.

Sam Lewens, Executive Producer of Dragons’ Den, said: “It was exciting to see the students pitching to the Dragons, but it was a genuine thrill to witness such a professional standard of presentation.”

Peter Salmon, Director of BBC North, said: “I’m delighted we have taken one of our most popular programmes to a new generation of talented young people.

“Initiatives like Dragons’ Den Goes Back to School really capture the spirit of collaboration we’re aiming for at BBC North and I’m impressed to see entrepreneurial skills alive and well across the region’s schools.

“I’m sure that with their dynamic thinking we’ll be seeing these young entrepreneurs again in the real Den and I would certainly invest in them if they wanted to work with BBC North in the future.”

Source and Photo: BBC