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

little Citizens

Memory Lane

Perfect Petals

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.