Read about all the innovative ideas that took home prizes at London Met’s annual Big Idea Challenge awards.
Date: 7 May 2025
London Met celebrated a brilliant cohort of commercial, creative and community-focused business ideas in The Great Hall on Wednesday 7 May, at the 2025 Big Idea Challenge Awards.
The evening brought together and celebrated all of the finalists from our university student and graduate competition, as well as the enterprising sixth form and college students from the Schools and Colleges edition of the Big Idea Challenge.
Following an inspirational opening address from London Metropolitan University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Julie Hall, the awards evening was hosted by 2019’s Grand Champion and Social Impact winner George Kelly, and featured a motivating guest speech by London Met graduate Faith Beswick, the Founder of FAB & Furry.
The University Big Idea Challenge 2025 winners were:
London Met’s Grand Champion and Community and Environment category awards went to AI Integrated Robotic Pollinator – an efficient and scalable robotic pollination system that uses AI to detect and pollinate strawberry flowers more reliably. Entered by Alameen Bavasar, a Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MSc graduate from the School of Computing and Digital Media.
The Commercial category award went to REBIOME+ – a revolutionary gut-healing, delicious microbiome-balancing super drink that provides full-spectrum gut support in one convenient bottle. Entered by Jessica Quinn, a second year Human Nutrition BSc student from the School of Human Sciences.
The Creative category award went to Noise Magazine – an online and print magazine featuring unique and emerging London artists and designers. Entered by Alicia Jara Alfonso Molina and Lucia Caceres Alves, Illustration and Animation BA and Graphic Design BA graduates from London Met School of Art, Architecture and Design.
The People’s Choice award went to Sensorial Love – a board game for bored couples looking to induce laughter, awaken their senses, and ignite new sparks in their relationship through sensual challenges. Entered by Agnieszka Albinowska, a third-year Illustration and Animation BA student from the School of Art Architecture and Design.
The Schools and Colleges Big Idea Challenge 2025 winners were:
The Schools and Colleges Grand Champion award went to Woven Clothing which was entered by students from St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College.
The first Schools and Colleges runner up award this year went to PALETE which was entered by students from Hampstead Fine Arts College.
The second Schools and Colleges runner up award this year went to PERMASHOES which was entered by students from Newham Sixth Form College.
The Schools and Colleges People's Choice award went to SKOLAR which was entered by students from Barnet and Southgate College.
The annual entrepreneurial competition continues to inspire and encourage hundreds of sixth form and college students each year, and gives our university students and graduates the chance to pitch and develop their innovative business ideas.
Each winning idea from the university competition receives a cash grant of £1,000 to support the development of their business, plus continued support from our London Met Enterprise team. Previous winners have gone on to launch businesses that have created hundreds of jobs and generated millions of pounds in profit.
"We were blown away in the Enterprise team by the high standard of entries this year," said Jon Everitt, London Met’s Creative Enterprise Officer. “We’re really excited to continue working with and supporting all the winners and finalists from this year’s competition, and to see how their ideas develop and grow over the months ahead."
