Students from Cullybackey College in County Antrim have advanced to the final of the Young Enterprise NI 2026 awards with their company Seed the Season. The team developed seeded products to encourage home plant growing and promote sustainability.

Seed the Season secured a finalist position after a regional competition. Six student companies from across Northern Ireland reached the final stage. The team pitched to judges at Queen’s University Belfast Business School.

Young Enterprise NI selected the finalists based on innovation, teamwork, and commercial potential. The charity runs the programme to teach business skills to young people. Queen’s University Belfast hosts pitches as the lead educational partner.

Winners will be announced at Belfast City Hall in April. Last year, students from Omagh Academy won with Minted Minds, a venture on financial skills for children.

Katrina Rodgers, Head of Business Studies and Young Enterprise at Cullybackey College, stated the team showed entrepreneurial talent and commitment to sustainability. Carol Fitzsimons MBE, chief executive of Young Enterprise NI, noted the high standard of talent from students across Northern Ireland. Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, said the programme nurtures early entrepreneurial skills.