STUDENTS from the University of Chester have been collecting £10 notes in a bid to win a trip to Rio.

Destination Rio, a new initiative that aims to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs, has been set up by the University of Chester, the Riverside Innovation Centre (RIC) and is being part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Teams of students have been set the task of turning their £10 notes into the profits necessary to fund travel to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Rio de Janeiro in March 2013 through a series of challenges designed to test their enterprise skills.

They’ve been tasked with generating as much profit as possible with only an initial £10 investment in a 48-hour window – from Tuesday, November 13, until Thursday, November 15.

Paul Keenan, operations director of LearnerVerse and team mentor, said: “I think Destination Rio is wonderful.

“As an entrepreneur, I have always felt that it should be an essential part of the curriculum in schools, colleges and universities and all credit to the University of Chester for launching this exciting initiative.

“As a mentor, I am delighted to say that the team members I am engaged with have been first rate. They are enthusiastic and keen to learn; I can honestly say that the whole experience has been of a high quality.

“The atmosphere at the launch event was electric and I am really looking forward to guiding ‘my team’ toward success and a place in Rio.”

RIC is working alongside the business community and with a number of partners regarding the challenge.

If you would like to find out about becoming a sponsor, call Kirsty Badrock on 01244 512252 or email k.badrock@chester.ac.uk.