Seed from St Aloysius College have won the 18th HSBC Young Enterprise Company of the Year Award.

The award was presented to managing director at Seed, Daniel Gatt, by the Family and Social Solidarity Minister, as well as former Young Enterprise judge, Dolores Cristina.

Throughout their nine-month “learning by doing” experience, Seed designed and successfully launched a product called Mini Green, a small green house in which indoor plants can be grown and kept. The concept proved so successful that a leading gardening centre in Malta acquired several Mini Greens and, furthermore, the team has also sold its design to an international gardening company.

Seed will now represent Malta in the 17th Junior Achievement – Young Enterprise European Company of the Year Finals, which this year will take place in Interlaaken, Switzerland between 1 and 5 August.

“Another successful HSBC Young Enterprise Company programme has come to an end. All the teams who took part this year achieved a very high standard and I am sure that all the students will take a lot of positive lessons away with them from this experience. Particular congratulations go to Seed, who are the eighth team from St Aloysius to win the competition and who following an exemplary final presentation deservedly won this year’s Award. I am sure they will be excellent representatives for Malta in the European Final,” said chairman of Young Enterprise Malta, Josef Camilleri.

Fifteen teams from St Aloysius, Junior College, De La Salle, Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary, MCAST and Verdala International School, took part this year. These were; Seed, Diaspora, Eco Tricity, Eco Lite, Impulse, Inextricable, In Nova, Fusion, Lumus, Massive Isle, Pulp, Mezmorize, Equipe, Young Impressions and Mosaic.

HSBC’s CEO Shaun Wallis, said: “All the participating teams put on a fantastic show brimming with creativity, enthusiasm, energy and passion. Young Enterprise offers youngsters a great learning experience which is both fun and full of practical lessons which will stand them in good stead for many years to some. Congratulations to Seed on their success but I must emphasise that anyone who is willing to give this competition a go comes out a winner.”