A team from JAYE Malta’s Start Up Programme has been presented with the third prize in a major European entrepreneurship competition.

The STILES team achieved the podium position at the JA Europe Enterprise Challenge 2020. This was a two-day virtual competition held between 24-26 June and hosted by JA Greece, under the patronage of H E the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The team was one of 18 that competed for the European title at the event, shortlisted from more than 17,000 students from 500+ higher education institutions across Europe that have participated in the Junior Achievement Start Up Programme this year.

“STILES stood out from the crowd very early on in the programme,” remarks JAYE Malta’s CEO Fiona Captur. “I saw grit and sheer determination to get there. Nothing was going to stand in this team’s way – not even COVID-19. Social distancing was quickly overcome by the team members moving into a flat together. Placing third in Europe is purely thanks to their hard work and commitment. We at JAYE Malta give each winning team all the support, expertise, and tips we can, but it is ultimately down to the team members to pick up the ball and run with it. With STILES, there was no stopping them!”

STILES, the brainchild of team members Miguel Bianco, Sean Sultana Richmond, and Maria Cassar, offers a suite of high performance, environmentally sensitive décor tiles that enhance the aesthetic value of urban infrastructure, while safeguarding the environment by giving a second life to waste material.

To earn the accolade, the team had to work within a series of strict criteria that focused on innovation and value creation, market and competition, the team’s expertise and business skills, and their ability to reflect on their learning experience throughout the programme.

During the challenge, which brought together the best student companies at postsecondary level from across Europe, the ten-strong jury also looked at the financial, social, or cultural value of each Start Up, as well as its potential to grow. STILES was awarded third place by Margaritis Schinas, Vice President of the European Commission, while MIZED from Portugal was presented with second place and AID4ALL from Cyprus awarded first place.

For more than 30 years, the JAYE Malta Foundation has provided high-quality entrepreneurship programmes to young people aged eight to 30, teaching them the business tools and creative, time management and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in the working world. As a member of the European and Global JA Network, JAYE Malta has already helped more than 10,000 students and inspired the creation of 500+ mini-companies, transforming Malta’s economy on a global scale.

More information about JAYE Malta may be found online at www.jayemalta.org