The Peter Jones Academy in Partnership with Gala Tent Ltd

Fast-growing Rotherham company, Gala Tent Ltd has set the next generation of entrepreneurs a challenge to design new products that could be added to the marquee specialist's range.

Jason Mace, managing director of Gala Tent Ltd, recently launched the project at the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy at Sheffield City College. It will see small groups of level 3 students creating brand new products to be chosen to be added to the Gala Tent range. Students will benefit from the business experience and expertise of Jason and other mentors throughout the five weeks given to create the product design.

Jason said: "This is such a great scheme which I am very excited to be involved with. I can remember how hard it was for me as a young aspiring entrepreneur and want to use my own knowledge and experiences in business to help these students and hopefully make great new products together."

The product designs will be pitched to an expert panel including Jason in November where the best two will have a prototype made and a marketing strategy put into place. The final chosen product will be put into mass production alongside other Gala Tent products with 5% of the overall profit made going to the winning team of students.

Gala Tent has grown from a table top operation in Grimethorpe to a company with a turnover in excess of £5m in just over a decade. The company is the UK's largest supplier of marquees and gazebos, exporting across Europe and to the US. They moved into new headquarters at Fairfield Park in Manvers earlier this year.