Budding entrepreneurs in Lochaber are being invited to pitch their ideas in the “Dragons’ Glen” in a bid to win £7,500 for their new venture.
The competition, inspired by the popular Dragons Den TV show, is being run by Lochaber Chamber of Commerce.
And the dragons, who are hoping to inspire the next generation of business people in the area, will be Angus MacDonald, Anja Baak, Steve Ham and Emma Parton.
The prize money has been put up by the Moidart Trust, which provides grants for local businesses to enhance prosperity and promote thriving communities in north-west Scotland. The trust is managed by Foundation Scotland.
This is the fourth year the Dragons’ Glen competition has been held in Lochaber.
Previous winners include Three Wise Monkeys Climbing, which won in 2014 and has since turned an old church in Fort William into a popular indoor climbing centre, and last year’s winner Corpach-based Clan Pods, which creates wooden pods for a variety of uses.
A chamber spokesman said: “The competition is open to all Lochaber residents, aged 16 or over, who have a business idea, and businesses wishing to diversify or introduce an innovative new concept.”
Applicants are being asked to produce a 90-second video pitch along with a written application explaining why their venture is of “importance to the area”.
The competition forms part of Lochaber Ideas Week, which is aimed at actively inspiring innovation and entrepreneurship in Lochaber, and the final will take place on Tuesday November 15.
