Students tackle societal and environmental problems to win the Big Bid

May 14, 2021

Cambridge Regional College announces the winners of the Big Bid 2021. Since the start of academic year, students across both campuses have been working outside of their studies to create a product, concept or campaign to raise awareness of some of the greatest challenges of our time; radicalisation, e-safety, sustainability, and equality and diversity.

Learners were encouraged to devise their Big Bid with a focus on their vocational area of study to showcase their developing knowledge and skills, and entrepreneurial abilities.

Following a shortlisting round in November, the finalists presented their work to a panel of judges, which included guest judges from the college Board of Governors, to pitch their proposals in a Dragon’s Den style bid for winning business. The standard of work was exceptional, and the innovation demonstrated left the judges with some very difficult decisions.

Deputy Principal, Michelle Dowse said: “We set the Big Bid challenge to give students the opportunity to test their entrepreneurial skills and give them the opportunity to apply their creativity to real world problems. It has been a difficult year for our young people, one that has highlighted how fragile our world can be. The entries were exceptional, and all impressed the panel of judges. The skills our students learn through projects like this are invaluable in the world of work and enterprise, enabling them to demonstrate how they can problem solve and develop a solution to a common need or issue, and to enable them to pitch that proposal. Huge congratulations to all our students who were involved in the Big Bid and to this year’s innovative, inspirational and very worthy winners.”

Following the final presentations, the judges identified winners in the categories of Best Campaign of the Year; Creative Industries, Supported Learning, Individual Entrepreneur of the Year; Zack Argyle, Built Environment and Best Commercial Product of the Year; Lydia Solon, Alex White and Emily Gobell, Level 3 Hairdressing.

Best Campaign of the Year – Creative Industries Supported Learning Students

The students created a campaign heightening awareness on the topic of Equality and Diversity. The students used their own personal life experiences to produce a video that tells their story, giving moving accounts of situations in which they did not feel they were being treated equally, highlighting the journey we are still on to achieving equality and diversity in our society. The message being that while we may all be different as individuals, we are all equal and that is something that should be celebrated.

Individual Entrepreneur of the Year – Zack Argyle: Built Environment

Zack’s entry focussed on the environment and the negative impact humans are having on it. His focus was on waste disposal, in particular the litter dropping. His project was a backpack, designed for walkers, to easily place rubbish in for disposal in a more appropriate place, rather than littering the countryside as they walked.

Best Commercial Product of the Year – Lydia Solon, Alex White and Emily Gobell: Level 3 Hairdressing

Lydia, Alex and Emily’s entry also focussed on the environment. They have designed a product to significantly reduce packaging waste in salons by putting shampoo and conditioner into single-use dissolvable pods. This would dramatically reduce waste and the use of plastics.