Festival contest for green dragons

Published on Sunday 6 May 2007 02:55

FIRST Dragon's Den, now Dragon's Glen. Budding entrepreneurs are to be put through a TV-style grilling to find the best business ideas that put the environment first.

The search is to be made at Scotland's newest festival, The Outsider, by a panel of business experts who want entries involving energy-saving devices or fitness enhancing adventure sports.

Organisers of The Outsider, to be held on the Rothiemurchus Estate near Aviemore next month, have teamed up with Edinburgh University's Edinburgh Pre-Incubator Scheme department to hold the competition, which will be judged by leading members of the business community.

Dragon's Glen, to be officially announced this week, will be part of the Saturday Outsider Forum which is being hosted by broadcaster Kirsty Wark.

The two panels will be chaired by serial entrepreneur Mick Jackson, who is currently starting his eighth business and is founder of the WildHearts Foundation, an organisation dedicated to launching companies for the benefit of humanity.

The energy-saving idea will be judged by environmentalist Jeremy Leggatt, whom Time Magazine described as "one of the key people responsible for putting climate change on the international agenda", Will Whitehorn from Virgin Galactic and Martin Falke from Falke Energy.

There will be a cash prize of 1,000, and Blas Limited, the Edinburgh-based corporate finance advisory firm, will offer advice valued at 2,500.

The adventure sports judges will include multi-award-winning designer and mountaineer Maeve Gillies and 'corporate doctor' Roger Brand from Hong Kong.

The winner will receive a 500 prize and Dragons' Glen sponsor, Fearsomengine, will provide consultancy and product design support valued at 1,000.

Application forms can be downloaded from the Outsider website - www.outsiderfestival.co.uk - or by applying directly to the university. Forms need to be submitted by June 8.

The Outsider, to be held on June 23 and 24, is a new festival bringing together music, comedy, outdoor activities and debate. Acts include Crowded House, KT Tunstall, Guillemots, Idlewild and Willy Mason.