Media students make the winning cut for Blueprint award
Released: Friday 1st June 2012 at 16:39
ENTERPRISING students who set up their own media production company less than a year ago have swept the board at a prestigious business awards ceremony.
The seven students who set up Contrapunto have been named the overall winners at the University of Sunderland Blueprint Business Planning Competition 2012 for their “highly innovative” company.
Since setting up in September 2011, the company has already won a number of awards for their innovative productions, including producing movie-style trailers to promote new books.
The award was presented at the National Glass Centre last night (May 31) and the winners received a £3,000 David Goldman Scholarship to help further grow their business idea, as well as a £500 prize for winning in their category.
Josh Rafé Coles, project manager and producer at Contrapunto, said he was in a state of shock upon hearing that the company had won the award.
“In our uncertain economic climate the name of your brand or company is ever more important to the organisation's future prospects,” he said.
“Just to have taken part in the whole process of the competition has taught us so much about ourselves, our business proposal and what level we would like to take it to.
“Having won the competition it will generate some fantastic publicity, for what we believe is a savvy product entering a hugely expanding marketplace.”
The company also won the Blueprint Creative Industries Award.
The competition, which is organised by University of Sunderland and sponsored by Tacle Seating UK Ltd, demonstrates the range, diversity and quality of talent at the university. Blueprint also provides a launch pad for start-up businesses emerging the city.
The Blueprint judging panel included; Dean of Arts, Design and Media at the University, Graeme Thompson, and Professor Bernie Callaghan, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law.
Vince Robson, Business Development Manager at the University who manages the Blueprint Competition, said: “The Blueprint judges were extremely impressed with the passion, determination and vision that the group have for their business.
“They demonstrated that they have the technical ability to exploit what is a highly innovative and emerging market, producing internationally acclaimed cinematic book trailers, and with additional support will develop the skills required to run a successful business.
“Put simply Contrapunto sum up exactly what the University of Sunderland’s Blueprint Business Planning Competition is all about.”
Iraa Kadchha and Adam Wimpenny were named runners up for their RGB Media business. The communications and PR company already has Samsung to their growing list of clients as they draw on traditional and new media tools to provide their services.
Other winners included :
- Lee Hall, a senior lecturer in journalism ad PR, won the University of Sunderland Staff Award
- Student Rebecca Robinson won the first ever Zenith People Early Concept Award for her florists Les Fleurs de Coeur
- SR1 IT won the Software Technology Award for brothers Adrian and Michael McCarroll
- Graduate Angela Mclean won the Alumni Person of the Year Award for her achievements in her Fast Forward Now Limited company, a private enterprise education consultancy in the North East.
The category winners and runners-up all received £500 to help get their business off to a fantastic start.