The Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition, launched in 1999 by Bolesławieckie Towarzystwo Gospodarcze, gives young people an opportunity to showcase their original business ideas. Many of these ideas become reality. The companies operate and perform very well. The latest edition of the competition was summed up at a gala in the Old Theatre.
– In 1999, when the first edition of the competition was launched, it was one of the few competitions of this kind in Poland aimed at students—potential future entrepreneurs who would eventually enter the labor market and probably some of whom would go on to run their own companies, said county governor Tomasz Gabrysiak, the competition’s patron.
Nine business-plan projects, prepared individually or in teams, qualified for the final round. Financial prizes went to the five best entries:
- 5th place – “Mysterious Bakery” Escape Room, Aleksandra Domzalska and Natalia Raczek from ZSOiZ
- 4th place – Rock’n’Rolling Roller Rink, Natalia Śliwak, Karolina Kleszcz and Klaudia Kuc from ZSOiZ
- 3rd place – Poliglot Foreign Language School, Alicja Jopek, and Natalia Łoza from I LO
- 2nd place – Czyściciel, Samanta Jońcy and Aleksandra Ciach from ZSOiZ.
The winner was Bartosz Baran from ZSHiU, with his idea for a heating plant powered by biological waste—Hot Bio.
– At first, we thought this was not an independent project and that some specialist had helped Bartosz, but during the defense he proved himself and demonstrated that he had done it on his own, said Józefina Witas, chair of the jury from Bolesławieckie Towarzystwo Gospodarcze.
– HOT BIO is a facility that generates electricity using renewable energy sources and waste, said Bartosz Baran. – I think it is one of the best ways to obtain clean energy and eliminate, for example, coal, whose combustion causes smog and carbon dioxide. We all suffer because of polluted air. Meanwhile, biological waste, such as cut grass and waste from farms, goes to waste and is treated as unnecessary rubbish. Yet it can be put to valuable use.
– No one needs to be told how important entrepreneurship is, said the county governor. – The power of every state is created not by the size and armament of its army, but by the number and strength of those who establish and run small and medium-sized enterprises. This competition shows that young people see their future in business. They also have excellent mentors. I would like to sincerely thank the teachers and school principals who guide them, appreciate them, support them and help them.
The idea for the Young Entrepreneur competition came from Józefina Witas. When the competition was launched, few people thought about teaching young people entrepreneurship or preparing them to seek personal and life success through their own business activity.
All the projects were assessed by a panel consisting of Józefina Witas, owner of the Agora bookshop; Anna Zug, director of the County Labor Office; Maciej Pronkiewicz from the Department of Education, Culture and Sport at the County Office; and Katarzyna Romanowska and Łukasz Załucki, people who can serve as examples of how to successfully run one’s own business.
– I hope we will continue this competition and that it will become increasingly popular among young people, who will share their ideas and, over the years, begin putting their plans into practice, said the county governor.