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Primary school pupils have scooped awards at the final of a Wales-wide entrepreneurial competition.

Both Machen Primary School and Bryn Awel Primary School, Rhymney, competed in the final of the annual Enterprise Troopers competition, which is run by the Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Service.

They were among the ten schools to have reached the final of the competition, which showcases the entrepreneurial skills of school pupils aged between five and 11.

As part of the competition, pupils create and run their own businesses, selling products or services within their schools or local communities, developing skills such as teamwork, creative thinking and budgeting along the way.

The schools pitched their ideas to a panel of judges at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Bryn Awel pupils impressed the judges with their business, called Rainbow Tree Bracelets.

As part of their business, the pupils created bracelets to spread happiness during the pandemic – earning them the Team Spirit Award.

Meanwhile, Machen Primary won the Business Engagement Award with their garden centre business, which saw them grow their own plants to sell to their parents, with the profits being donated to a nursing home.

Cheryl Gourlay, of NatWest, was one of the judges. She said: “It’s clear from the entries in this year’s Enterprise Troopers that there is really promising young business talent in Wales.

“I hope every pupil taking part has grown in confidence and developed a love for enterprise that will set them up for continued success going forward.”

Wales’ Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said: “We want to see more young people setting up their own businesses here in Wales, so developing enterprise skills in these early years is crucial in order to inspire the next generation of savvy entrepreneurs to do just that.

“This link between schools and businesses is crucial in our efforts to develop a more entrepreneurial culture. Our schools have continued to work hard to help develop the entrepreneurial skills of our young people despite the challenges of the pandemic.

“Their resilience, and the talent of our budding entrepreneurs is clear to see from the standard of entry in the competition.”