BUDDING business tycoons took centre stage at the first-ever University of Gloucestershire Enterprise Awards.

Talent and enterprise were celebrated as current and former students and staff, and other organisations and individuals, were honoured at the awards evening at the university's Park campus on Thursday.

University vice-chancellor, Dr Paul Hartley, said the evening was of immense significance.

"Higher education is changing rapidly – too rapidly for the comfort for most – but a key part of that change, particularly for universities like ours, will be increasing engagement with the region, with local communities and with local and regional businesses," he said.

"No university can develop in isolation, or without engaging with its community, and events like this are a symbol of the expanding relationship between academia and the commercial world."

The judging panel was chaired by Gloucestershire Echo editor Kevan Blackadder and including entrepreneur John Caines, Helen Taylor from Ecotricity, Baroness Rennie Fritchie and Carolyn Sperring from the university's Centre for Enterprise and Innovation.

Announcing the award winners, Mr Blackadder said: "I can honestly say we were not only impressed by the entries, but also inspired by them. The nomination forms not only revealed the application of those involved, but also real achievement.

"In some of the categories we had a large number of entries who were shortlisted before we chose the finalists in each category.

"Selecting a winner for each award was difficult, and did engage us in some lively debate."

The Enterprising Student Award for undergraduate and postgraduate students went to Ben Richardson, who set up a business supplying clothes for students.

The business has really taken off and Ben is now growing the product range, developing a fair trade product, and is in talks with other universities.

The award for Enterprise Legacy, open to former university students and staff, was won by Emma Heathcote-James.

A former staff member, Emma established The Little Soap Company and, with six months of trading, got her products on the shelves of supermarket Waitrose.

In this category, the judges also highly commended former student Martyn Lewis, who set up 3G Selling, providing training over the internet. He now employs nine people, with a further 37 in contract positions.

The Enterprising Staff Award, open to current employees, went to Andrew Lansley, who came to the university as an audio technician but has helped students by forging new links with local businesses and community groups.

He has enabled students to work with Cheltenham's festivals and continues to mentor them.

Winner of the Employer Partner Award was Gloucester-based Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, which has worked with the university and provided its new sales academy with university accreditation at postgraduate certificate level.

The Employer Mentor Award was presented to Tony Crook, a committed mentor on the university's BUG business planning programme and tutor. Tony has worked with graduates on the successful launch of several new businesses.

Winner of the Enterprise Partner Award was the organisation Construction Excellence, which has worked with the university's Nexus team to develop a programme of higher skills training for the construction and built environment sector.

It is a unique enterprise, raising awareness of the construction industry's needs in the academic sector.