YOUNG business lions in York and North and East Yorkshire have found a new champion.

York St John University Business School is the new sponsor of the Young Entrepreneur Of The Year category in The Press Business Awards 2010.

Jackie Mathers, dean of the Business School, said: “The search for dynamic young talent in our region is precisely what we are all about.

“We see so many students coming through our business school with great entrepreneurial ideas and part of our remit is to nurture that talent and that of other entrepreneurs throughout the region.”

The Business School is a “young lion” itself. It was started only two years ago with the aim of improving business performance and resilience, and help strengthen economic growth in York and the wider region.

Its team of 50 staff includes people with backgrounds in industry giving students access to senior-level corporate expertise.

That experience is also made available to the wider business community through a series of training programmes, workshops, seminars and networking events.

The Business School has 1,550 students – 300 of whom emanate from outside the UK – and has delivered 13 undergraduate and six postgraduate courses.

In its first two years it has awarded £80,000 in grants to support 70 business startups throughout Yorkshire and secured £140,000 worth of funding to plough into practical support for ventures.

One of the business school’s big successes has been the Acorn programme, aimed at those setting out with their business ventures, offering them practical advice in key areas from local business leaders, preparing them to face legal, financial, marketing and funding hurdles.

It also offers them peer support in what can be a hostile environment – creating friendships which fruitfully continue even when the courses are over.

Jackie said: “It is more important that ever that young entrepreneurs know that they are not alone – and that we are all behind them.

“It is essential that enterprises powered by young ideas and dynamism are encouraged to be in the phalanx of the fight to restore Britain’s economic fortunes.”