Record Turnout Of Hawke’s Bay Students Pitch Business Ideas At Spark Tank

A record turnout of Hawke’s Bay secondary school students pitched business ideas to industry mentors on Wednesday at Spark Tank - the first event of the 2026 Young Enterprise Scheme.

Held at the Toitoi Events & Arts Centre, Spark Tank - powered by Tumu and hosted by the Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce - brought together about 430 students and more than 100 volunteer speed coaches for a series of mentoring sessions designed to help refine early-stage business ideas.

The Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) is a national business programme run in secondary schools around the country, where students form a business and gain real-life experience bringing a product or service to market while developing skills in leadership, teamwork and communication.

Throughout the year, students compete in four business challenges with top teams progressing to regional finals and the national competition. Spark Tank forms part of the first challenge, which focuses on developing and validating business ideas.

YES Regional Coordinator for Hawke’s Bay Alexis Overend said the event plays an important role in helping students test and refine their ideas early in the programme.

“Students get the opportunity to pitch their ideas and receive immediate feedback from people working in business,” she said.

“Getting feedback from speed coaches helps students test and refine their ideas and gives them the confidence to move forward with them.”

During the speed coaching sessions, student teams pitched their ideas to experienced professionals from a wide range of industries who provided feedback, advice and questions to help refine their concepts.

Each group spent five minutes with a mentor before coaches rotated around the room across eight rounds.

Students at the event also heard from Anton Douglas, chief executive of Welcome and representing naming sponsor Tumu, who shared insights about business and entrepreneurship.

In Hawke’s Bay, YES is divided into Hawke’s Bay North and Hawke’s Bay South, with the top team from each regional final progressing to the national competition.

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