Elecrtic bike recieves innovation prize - March 2009

Enterprise & Innovation

Champion Push for the Green Agenda

East Midlands based Melanie Berry has helped scoop a £40,000 prize in her role as an East Midlands Development Agency (emda) Business Champion.

The ‘Climate Change Innovation Prize’, part of the Shell Springboard scheme, was awarded to Leicester-based Walters Innovations Ltd for its MonVal Electra electric bicycle concept.

MonVal’s creator, Andrew Walters said “There was a major judging process which I needed to get through in order to be considered for the award.

“Melanie from emda Business Champions came to the rescue. She helped me enormously to prepare for the big day, by playing devil’s advocate, putting me through mock interviews and giving me the confidence and the focus to deliver on the day”.

Melanie, a Director of Beeston-based sports marketing agency Perfect Motion Sports adds “It sounded like a fantastic idea that needed mentoring and it was a great mix of passions for me, namely cycling and the ‘Green Agenda’ – so I jumped at the chance to help.”

Thanks to her regular ‘parachuting in’ as an emda Business Champion, over a three month period Melanie mentored Andrew by helping him think in a more structured way to communicate the passion for his idea with a stronger commercial impact.

“Through her mentoring, Melanie gave helped me to describe the impact of unlocking the commercial potential of MonVal.

“I couldn’t have done it without her” added Andrew, “She was totally committed and made sure I got all the help I needed to win the award”.

Andrew convinced a panel of six that the £40,000 award would enable him to operate his twin plan to create more demand for his product with a marketing and business development plan – and to simplify his manufacturing process to speed production in anticipation of increased demand.