A BUSINESS PLAN prepared by the Management Society (ManSoc) of the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy (CBEA) has been shortlisted for the Manchester Business School (MBS) Innovation Award vied for by thousands of entrepreneurs all throughout Asia.

Under CBEA’s entry, the group will establish a \"Trash to cash\" venture based on buying and selling of recyclable plastic and the production of items made from junk food wrappers. Alongside, they will hold a solid waste management seminar to teach students on waste segregation. The business plan, which allows students to safeguard the environment while earning money, is expected to benefit not only the proponents but also the other organizations in the campus.

Led by Armie C. Sabugo, management instructor and ManSoc adviser, members of the core group are Kristel Kate Pumaras, Ronel Sacopaso, Ma. Richelle Ancheta, Jackielou Valderrama, and Verwin Aguda.

The winner of the best innovative business plan will be rewarded with an all-expense paid trip to Manchester, United Kingdom to meet with professors from the University of Manchester and the Manchester Enterprise Centre to discuss the business plan in person, plus a cash prize of GBP1,500 (Php118,000). The winner will be announced in July 2009, and will be selected based on innovation and creativity, and commercial viability.

As of press time, the team is still awaiting word from the competition organizers as to the schedule of their final presentation which will be held in Singapore. Serving as judges are a panel of professors, academic directors, and selected MBS alumni.

Prof. Lorna Salmasan, CBEA dean, feels jubilant over this feat, saying that it is a great honor to be competitive in the international arena.

The Manchester Innovation Award aims to help business-minded people think out of the box, important in today’s economic climate. It is an initiative to create opportunities for entrepreneurs to realize their potential in this time of gloom and lend a hand in the market slowdown.

Ranked second in the UK and third among non-US schools in the latest Forbes guide to the world’s best business schools, MBS is UK’s largest campus-based business and management school. It provides a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs as well as customized executive programs for organizations from both the private and public sectors. Established in 1965, it was also UK’s first business school.