Environment YES
What is Environment YES?
Environment YES (Young Entrepreneurs Scheme) is an innovative scheme to raise levels of entrepreneurial awareness, that is targeted at PhD students and post doctoral researchers working in the environmental sciences.
Environment YES is run as a competition in the format of a 3-day workshop with training provided to participating teams. Winning teams progress through to a London final.
What is involved?
Environment YES will run as a 3-day residential workshop in Oxford. In the morning of the first two days, participants, grouped into teams of four to five members, attend presentations from leading figures in industry on all aspects of technology transfer and the commercialisation of science ideas.
Topics covered include:
- The Requirements of a Business Plan
- Intellectual Property and Patenting Strategy
- Financing a New Business
- Financial Planning
- Commercial and Marketing Strategies
- Case Histories of spin-out companies and business development
This knowledge is then used by participants to prepare an oral business plan presentation for an "imaginary" environmental or environmental technology start-up company. The team prepares the plan in the afternoon of the first two days and in the morning of the final day, with each member assuming a different role within the company. For example:
- Managing Director
- Finance Director
- Research and Development Director
- Marketing Director
- Operations Director
On the final afternoon the participants make a formal oral presentation of their business plan to a panel comprised of business, financial and academic experts taking the role of venture capitalists. Winning teams are then selected to progress through to the Final.
When and where will it take place?
A briefing session will be held in Nottingham on 18 August. At least one member of each team should attend this to find out exactly what to expect at the workshop.
The NERC workshop will take place at Eynsham Hall, Oxford on 14-16 October 2009.
The final is held in London on 14 December.
What is the cost?
The cost to teams is free - travel, meals and accommodation are all provided for participants.
Taking part in the competition does involve some time commitment. Past participants have put a lot of effort into preparation for the competition beforehand, but the rewards are substantial in terms of knowledge gained, networking opportunities and personal development.
We do ask that participants pay a refunded deposit of £250 per team once you have been allocated a place. Providing you attend your allotted workshop your deposit will be refunded. The cost of running Environment YES is £600 per participant and unfortunately when participants cancel we incur charges that are not refundable. Some departments are willing to pay the deposit on behalf of their teams.
What can you gain from the competition?
Teams taking part compete against each other for a prize which is awarded to the winning Environment YES team at the London Final. The Environment YES team(s) at the final will not compete for the main Biotechnology YES prize, but are able to compete for a range of other prizes that are awarded.
Participants have the opportunity to gain an insight into the process of innovation, and the chance to network with members of industry and business experts.
Participation in the competition will enable the development of a wide range of transferable skills including:
- Self awareness
- Time management
- Team working
- Presentation skills
- Networking skills
Will it help my career prospects?
This is an opportunity to investigate a career path you may not have considered before.
You will have the opportunity to network with a variety of professionals who will be happy to talk about their career routes with you.
Past participants have identified a wide range of skills acquired through taking part in YES, which are all beneficial for your CV:
- Information seeking skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Management skills
- Communication skills
- Creative thinking
- Problem solving
- Working to deadlines
Past participants have said:
"[The competition] opened up new paths I previously had not thought of."
"[Environment YES] is a really great platform to make researchers aware of the business world."
"The presentations by the guest speakers were insightful and very useful - I would definitely recommend it to all environmental science PhDs"
"Scientists do not always have the business knowledge [or] awareness to commercialise their ideas. I think the workshop demonstrated why and how this can be done"
Who can tell me more?
For further information please contact Emily Medland.
