The Livery Academy Awards is an innovative programme designed for City Livery Companies to engage with state schools to help stimulate business and entrepreneurial skills among their sixth-form pupils. The school teams are given a brief to develop a business idea and present it to an industry standard to a distinguished panel of judges (often household names) and an audience of company members. The companies provide each team with mentors from the finance and marketing/advertising/creative sectors, ideally drawn from their membership. This vibrant programme continues and expands the Livery’s ancient remit to encourage and nurture young people, giving them key skills which they can carry into the world of work.

The programme originated at the Grocers’ Company in 2013 and now expanded to the Drapers, Haberdashers and Merchant Taylors. Winners take part in the exciting Grand Final at Mansion House, hosted by the Lord Mayor.

St Saviour's and St Olave's School supported by the Merchant Taylor's Company, were the winners of the Mansion House final in January 2024. Their innovative idea was BubbleME, a safety watch to provide a two–way safety communication between a child and parent. The aim was to provide comprehensive security and peace of mind for parents with children between the ages of 9 and 13.

Mansion House Final - Tuesday 28th January 2025

6

Year 12 or 13

•CEO •Chief Operating Officer •Financial Director •Product Designer •Marketing & Communications Director •IT Technician

The preference is for meeting mentors in person – though we know that distances between mentors and schools can sometimes make that tricky

We would suggest that you agree a schedule between your team and your mentors. But we do recommend to meet as much as possible to gain the most out of the process.

No longer than 15 minutes

You can design your own slides but they should follow the exact format of the template slides. You can also imbed media files if required for your business / product.

The Judges’ assessment will be based on the following factors: Financial Understanding (20 points) Commercial potential (20 points) The quality of the presentation, and display of teamwork (20 points) The team’s performance in the Q&A session (30 points) Originality of the idea (10 points)

Present your idea clearly and succinctly. Every team member should contribute, both in the presentation and the Q&A. Consider holding a session beforehand looking specifically at what questions might come up and prepare draft responses. Perhaps ask someone not involved to listen to the final presentation and see what questions occur to them. Your presentation and slideshow should contain all the information you wish to convey – not handouts on the evening. Prototypes may be used but only on stage. Remember that the Judges will deduct points for over-running and if handouts are used.

There will be a ten-minute Q&A session involving questions from the judges and audience.

Either smart business attire, school uniform or team outfits (such as t-shirts with smart trousers / skirts.