
Young Enterprise
Company of the Year 2026
National Final
3rd June 2026
Cardiff University
13 Finalists

Supported By


13 National Finalists
Representing the UK & Gibraltar
1 National Winner
Hundreds of students
About the National Final
Celebrating Enterprise
Transforming Futures
The Young Enterprise Company of the Year National Final 2026 brings together the UK’s most outstanding student-led businesses for an inspiring celebration of creativity, enterprise and ambition. After progressing through local and regional stages, the finalist teams will take to the national stage to showcase their business ideas, demonstrate the skills they have developed, and pitch for the prestigious title of UK Company of the Year. The event celebrates not only business success, but also the confidence, resilience, teamwork and real-world learning gained through the Young Enterprise journey.
Company of the year 2026
Meet the
Finalists

Afternoon Seed
Afternoon Seed upcycles pre-loved crockery into distinctive bird feeders and plant pots that bring nature back into people's lives.

Boundless Wight
Our product is a Walk the Wight board game inspired by the annual Walk the Wight event, accessible to all while providing hours of fun and unique gameplay.

Denim Dogs
Denim Dogs is an 11-student enterprise creating sustainable denim pet accessories. We have successfully researched, developed, and launched our product range: dog collars, leads, and waste-bag holders,

Fidgetly
We are Fidgetly, a brand that creates innovative 3D-printed fidget toys designed with both active and passive play. Our fidget toys are designed to help reduce stress.

Forever Wrap
ForeverWrap is a team from King Edward VI School, Lichfield, made up of students with different personalities, skillsets, and ambitions, brought together by a shared goal of creating a sustainable product that genuinely makes a difference.

Grounded Origin
Our product is a biodegradable plant pot made from coffee chaff. Coffee chaff is a by-product of coffee which has many benefits due to its nitrogen rich make up that naturally fertilises soil

Hydrobloom
Hydrobloom makes a beginner-friendly hydroponics kit. Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil, offering advantages in sustainability, water efficiency, and plant health.

My Mind Matter
My Mind Matters is a mental health brand focused on helping people of all ages understand and regulate their emotions. We launched with our children’s book, Brainy’s Adventure with the Mood Monsters

Seed the Season
Founded on the dual mission of cultivating sustainability and nurturing wellbeing, we engineer high-margin, circular economy products. Our flagship 'Little Bloom Project' is an innovative, plantable educational toolkit

Seeds & Greetings
“From Paper to Petals,” Seeds & Greetings is an eight-time award-winning Young Enterprise company redefining sustainable gifting through innovation and purpose.

Talk2Teens
We are Talk2teens, a company whose primary goal is to spread awareness on the topical issue of teenage mental health.

Zestee
Turning orange peels into greatness, one tee at a time” Zestee is the face of sustainable innovation in the golf industry, using everyday waste as its raw material to produce a fully eco-friendly product aiming to replace the most damaging material - plastic.

Cultura & Co
Cultura & Co began with one goal: to unite people through the universal language of food. Our cultural cookbook brings together 25 family-written recipes accompanied by hand-drawn illustrations.
Watch the Company
Programme in Action

Company of the year 2026
Inspire Award
Winners

Calm & Colour

Essential Fidgets

GoFIGR

little Citizens

Memory Lane

Perfect Petals

Deaf Cool
Meet the Judges
We appreciate our judges for their time and dedication.

Graham Farhall
Delta Air lines
Graham has worked for Delta Air Lines since 2008 and is responsible for providing financial expertise to the European, Middle East and Africa business including ensuring accounting control and compliance across 39 countries.
Prior to joining Delta, Graham spent 10 years in various finance roles with British Airways including some time spent working in the USA. He started his career with Balfour Beatty in Liverpool and holds a BSc (Hons) in Business Operation and Control from the University of Salford.
Graham is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and joined the Board of Young Enterprise in February 2019 having served as an independent member of the Risk and Audit Committee since March 2018.
Kirsty Mackenzie
Founder, iMultply and FIN
As the founder of FIN, Kirsty helps finance professionals future-proof their careers. Through digital training programmes designed to help finance professionals understand, utilise, and implement AI, and access to expert AI consultants, FIN empowers businesses to improve efficiencies and enables finance teams to focus on high-value, strategic tasks that shape the future of their organisations.
In addition to my work with iMultiply and FIN, I’m also an experienced Non-Executive Director, a qualified business coach, a public speaker, and a regular contributor to BBC Radio Scotland, where I share my insights on business and employment. As the winner of WeDo’s Young Entrepreneur Award, I’m passionate about creating opportunities for professionals to connect, grow, and thrive.


Cameron Nimmo
Careers & Enterprise Company
Cameron is the Senior Programmes and Partnerships Manager at the Careers & Enterprise Company. He is responsible for ensuring Careers Leaders have access to a diverse suite of training opportunities and manages a national community of careers education delivery providers.
He has worked in a variety of education settings and spent 9 years running a community-based, social action employability programme for young people at youth charity, Envision.
Adam Eward
Send My Bag
Adam Ewart, a Young Enterprise alumnus, is the founder and CEO of Send My Bag, the global leader in international luggage shipping. Launched in 2006 with just £100, he later turned down venture capital offers, choosing instead to bootstrap the business and reinvest all profits for over a decade.
A two-time Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade winner, Send My Bag serves customers in more than 80 countries each month. In 2024 after the removal of their public funding Send My Bag became the lead partner for Young Enterprise in Northern Ireland.


Dan Smith
M4 Property Consultants
As well as working as a Young Enterprise volunteer Dan has been successfully helping landlords and commercial property owners let and sell their properties for over 15 years, including office, industrial, retail, investment and development properties.
Specialities include commercial property agency (letting, selling and acquiring) and commercial property management in the south Wales area. Together with the team at M4 property Consultants I provide clients with a results-driven personal service to meet their needs.
Kimberley Garande
Westminster Foundation
Youth Voice Advisor at the Westminster Foundation, with extensive experience in youth engagement and community organising. Her work is rooted in lived experience and youth-led practice. She has designed and facilitated a wide range of programmes that centre young people’s voices, including youth panels, leadership programmes and funding decision-making processes.
She is a former recipient of the Blagrave Trust’s Challenge and Change fund, where she secured funding for her own social action project. She is committed to strengthening how organisations work alongside young people and ensuring that youth voice is meaningfully embedded in strategy and practice.


Christian Farrow
Browne Jacobson
Christian Farrow is a Corporate Partner at national law firm Browne Jacobson. A native Welsh speaker, he has a strong connection to the Welsh business community and is committed to supporting its growth and future talent.
He is a strong advocate for youth enterprise and business education, supporting initiatives that equip young people with the skills, confidence and entrepreneurial mindset needed to succeed
Through his involvement with Young Enterprise Wales, Christian champions innovation and social impact among the next generation of business leaders.
Afternoon Seed

Afternoon Seed upcycles pre-loved crockery into distinctive bird feeders and plant pots that bring nature back into people's lives. Based in the Chilterns, our student enterprise pairs physical craftsmanship with interactive digital education via our website. Our innovative "Deluxe Kits" actively combat loneliness through intergenerational message-exchange cards and mindful activities. Driven by cell production and meticulous quality assurance, we achieved an exceptional 76% net profit margin on £1,112 in revenue. Supported by major partners like Pizza Express, we seamlessly transform a solitary gardening hobby into a connected, flourishing community movement.
Boundless Wight

We are Boundless Wight, a board game company partaking in the Young Enterprise competition co-owned by 8 students from the Isle of Wight Sixth form. Our product is a Walk the Wight board game inspired by the annual Walk the Wight event, accessible to all while providing hours of fun and unique gameplay. Our aim is to encourage local communities and tourists to connect through our beautiful island regardless of demographics. As our name suggests we are incredibly proud of our island, but not limited by it, and have many future aspirations to connect communities through entertainment nationwide.
Denim Dogs

Denim Dogs is an 11-student enterprise creating sustainable denim pet accessories. We have successfully researched, developed, and launched our product range: dog collars, leads, and waste-bag holders, achieving a revenue of £987.75 and total profits of £440.77. Through online promotion, in-person sales and retail partnerships, we have cultivated a strong, authentic community that has followed us through this process. Denim Dogs has offered us first-hand experience in product development, financing, marketing, and teamwork, giving us the opportunity to grow into young entrepreneurs against the backdrop of an ethical, conscientious, and environmentally responsible business outlook.
Fidgitly

We are Fidgetly, a brand that creates innovative 3D-printed fidget toys designed with both active and passive play. While our products are for everyone, they are primarily aimed at children with ADHD, dyslexia or children that have difficulty focusing. Our fidget toys are designed to help reduce stress, improve focus and help engage. Over the last months, our team worked hard to build an affordable, modern and customer focused business. Through dedication and continuous improvement, we have developed a loyal customer base, enabling us to adapt our products to meet customers' changing needs and preferences.
Forever Wrap

ForeverWrap is a team from King Edward VI School, Lichfield, made up of students with different personalities, skillsets, and ambitions, brought together by a shared goal of creating a sustainable product that genuinely makes a difference.
Through launching our reusable fabric gift wrap business, we have experienced the realities of entrepreneurship first-hand. The highs of winning awards and making sales, alongside the challenges of communication, deadlines, and problem-solving.
Throughout the journey, we have developed valuable skills in teamwork, leadership, marketing, finance, and resilience. Most importantly, ForeverWrap has shown us that successful businesses are built through determination, adaptability, and shared purpose.
Grounded Origin

Our product is a biodegradable plant pot made from coffee chaff. Coffee chaff is a by-product of coffee which has many benefits due to its nitrogen rich make up that naturally fertilises soil. We combine this chaff with pine resin and beeswax to make our pots, which we sell in three different designs. We source our chaff from a coffee shop in our area, which they give to us for free, reducing cost and waste. Our product offers a practical alternative to plastic plant pots, helping gardeners to reduce their environmental impact while aiding their gardens.
Hydrobloom

Hydrobloom makes a beginner-friendly hydroponics kit. Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil, offering advantages in sustainability, water efficiency, and plant health. We provide everything needed to begin growing fresh herbs at home, including one of our two, in-house designed and manufactured, growing boxes, nutrients and seeds.
Our mission is to make sustainable indoor gardening accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for everyone. We allow individuals who do not have the physical ability, time, or space to grow plants effortlessly through our innovative hydroponic solution, promoting wellbeing and educating people about hydroponics as a sustainable and environmentally friendly practice.
My Mind Matters

My Mind Matters is a mental health brand focused on helping people of all ages understand and regulate their emotions. We launched with our children’s book, Brainy’s Adventure with the Mood Monsters, as the first step in a wider mission to support emotional wellbeing beyond just young readers. Through relatable characters and emotions including happiness, sadness, anger, fear, jealousy, and anxiety, we encourage positive emotional regulation while raising awareness of mental health and neurodiversity — conversations we believe deserve far more attention.
Seed the Season

Seed the Season is an award-winning student enterprise from Cullybackey College, representing Northern Ireland at the 2026 Young Enterprise UK Company of the Year Finals.
Founded on the dual mission of cultivating sustainability and nurturing wellbeing, we engineer high-margin, circular economy products. Our flagship 'Little Bloom Project' is an innovative, plantable educational toolkit that transforms a children’s storybook into a sunflower patch, dynamically bringing the Early Years and Key Stage 1 curriculum to life.
Driven by rigorous financial discipline, our team achieved an exceptional 54% net profit margin, proving that purpose-driven, eco-friendly innovation can deliver elite commercial success.
Seeds & Greetings

“From Paper to Petals,” Seeds & Greetings is an eight-time award-winning Young Enterprise company redefining sustainable gifting through innovation and purpose. Based in London, we create biodegradable, foldable A6 greeting cards embedded with wildflower seeds and printed using water-based ink. Each card lets customers share a heartfelt message before planting it to grow into wildflowers, which are a key player in our ecosystem. Committed to accessibility, we cater to people who are visually impaired, and people of many languages. Recognised as London’s leading student enterprise, we combine sustainability, creativity, and human connection to ensure that everyone can enjoy our cards.
Talk2Teens

We are Talk2teens, a company whose primary goal is to spread awareness on the topical issue of teenage mental health. We created a book written by us (teenagers) for parents, based on our firsthand experiences. No one understands teenage mental health better than teenagers. Our book focuses on four sections shaping mental health (home life, friendship, social media, school life). We did not stop there; we are working towards producing books personal to each member of the business. We all have unique experiences regarding mental health. Together our individual experiences add together to cover all aspects of mental health.
Zestee

“Turning orange peels into greatness, one tee at a time” Zestee is the face of sustainable innovation in the golf industry, using everyday waste as its raw material to produce a fully eco-friendly product aiming to replace the most damaging material - plastic.
At Zestee our main focus is decreasing the negative environmental impacts of an already eco-unfriendly sport being golf. Our tees naturally decompose in a short timeframe, preventing toxic chemicals from leaching into the soil, and deforestation to produce "eco-friendly" alternatives.
We pride ourselves as representatives of the young generation and how innovation can help save the environment.
Cultura & Co

Cultura & Co began with one goal: to unite people through the universal language of food. Our cultural cookbook brings together 25 family-written recipes accompanied by hand-drawn illustrations. Authenticity is the heart of our business, so we unanimously decided against using AI; therefore, every story is told by the voice it came from. ‘Perfect Palate’ is more than just a collection of recipes; it celebrates food that crosses borders and generations, with each recipe carrying its own identity, traditions, and history. We want to embrace the differences between global cuisines and encourage local communities to step out of their comfort zone.