Accountancy firm backs university student

Ascentant Accountancy recently teamed up with the University of Derby to give one of its students a chance to develop their business idea.

The Pitch Perfect contest was an opportunity for students and graduates to pitch their business ideas for a chance to win £1,000 and 12 months of business support from Ascentant.

The competition was won by Mackenzie Sargeant, who is now working with the firm to make her business idea a reality.

Mackenzie is looking to develop a Probiotic Bio ball which is a clear gel ball made from biodegradable material, containing scientifically supported probiotics that have been shown to improve coral health – the probiotics increase the corals thermal tolerance and disease resistance to help fight the impacts of climate change.

Kevin Drew, director of Ascentant Accountancy, said: “We are really proud to support, nurture and grow new businesses in Derby and beyond.

“Start-ups are often overlooked in the business community – they struggle to find peer-to-peer support, opportunities and easy-to-access or affordable advice.

“We are working to change that and provide a start-up ecosystem in Derby with networking events, workshops and opportunities for start-ups to thrive.

“Working with the University of Derby is the first of many partnerships to underline our commitment.”