BRACE yourselves for the battle of the business plans.

Eight high-tech firms from all over Yorkshire will compete at tomorrow's Venturefest event at York Racecourse for a prize of £20,000 worth of help.

Already their bright ideas have been monitored by Connect Yorkshire, the regional technology network that fosters a new and growing edge of science businesses.

Now their plans are being scrutinised by an expert panel who will carefully listen to their presentations.

The winner will be announced at the Venturefest dinner at Knavesmire, York, tomorrow evening.

There will be a separate jury consisting of the audience who will select the firm to take the runner's up People's Prize of £2,000.

This is all part of the excitement building up for tomorrow's Venturefest event which is expected to attract 2,000 delegates - a meeting of minds and perhaps money between entrepreneura and business angels.

It will also provide tense competition between schools and other places of learning in the Skillsfest Challenge in which teams with high-tech business ideas vie for a trophy and £1,000 first prize, with second prize of £750.

There is also a special award of £500 for the most innovative team which will be judged by famous inventor Trevor Baylis, who created the wind-up radio and television science and maths promoter Johnny Ball

Opening presentation will be by Sir Ben Gill, former general secretary of the National Farmers' Union and now chairman of the Bio-Mass Study Task Force.

Speakers will include Andrew Burton, managing director of the new £5 million Viking Fund which provides early stage risk capital; Charles Cecil, managing director of York's Revolution Software, the adventure games developer; and Derek Wall, managing director of training consultancy Bluesky Plc

After dinner speaker will be Sir Peter Williams, patron for Women into Science and Engineering (WISE) who will speak on SET (Science Engineering and Technology) and the City.

Updated: 11:04 Tuesday, February 01, 2005