Ten Shropshire inventors are one step closer to winning a potentially life-changing £5,000 prize after reaching the semi-finals of a Dragons’ Den-style competition.

See also: Last year’s Star Idea semi-finalists

Ideas finalists put to test

Star Idea is run by the Shropshire Star to recognise entrepreneurs who have developed a plan for commercial success, but need cash and expert support to make it happen.

This year’s lucky winner will receive £5,000 in cash, plus priceless business support, to turn their dreams into reality.

Dozens of diverse ideas flooded in and they have now been whittled down to a shortlist of ten, who will be invited to pitch their ideas to the Star Idea panel in early June.

Three finalists will be chosen, and invited to sell their ideas to the audience at the Shropshire Business Awards on June 27. The audience, of around 600 people, will then vote for the winner.

The Star Idea panel is made up of four prominent local business people, with wide-ranging commercial expertise. They are Fay Easton from Shropshire Enterprise Partnership, Diana Thompson of the E-Innovation Centre in Telford, Peter Pawsey from the Rural Regeneration Zone, and Ian Morris of Turner Peachey chartered accountants.

Meet this year’s Star Idea contenders

l MIKE DRAGE: Mike, from Longden Coleham in Shrewsbury, has designed a telescopic and collapsible book holder, particularly targeted at elderly, arthritic and disabled people.

l AARON BROWNSDON: Aaron, from Little Ness, wants to launch a new Super Shuttle transport service, offering passengers an alternative travel method between the county town and Birmingham.

l SYLVIA JONES: Sylvia, from Horderley, near Craven Arms, has designed an “intelligent” fire detection system capable of not only raising the alarm in a fire, but “telling” property owners where the fire is.

l NIGEL BRADLEY: Nigel, from Ludlow, is a window cleaner who has developed new ideas to make ladders safer and more sturdy, to prevent them slipping and causing accidents.

l JOANNA MANOUSIS: Joanna, from Harlescott, in Shrewsbury, has designed a new range of hand-crafted glass jewellery which has already landed her design prizes, and received acclaim at international trade shows.

l MICHAEL PERKINS: Michael, from Muxton, in Telford, is seeking cash to produce a working prototype of his “stressless cords” which reduce strain on electrical cables and leads.

l TOM SULLIVAN: Tom, from Shrewsbury, is keen to revive the production of the famous Shrewsbury Biscuit in the town, by baking and packaging it locally, and marketing the brand to help boost tourism.

l GRAHAM FIELDHOUSE: Graham, from Trench, in Telford, has developed a new brake light system for cars, designed to differentiate between drivers “dabbing” their brakes, and those braking more sharply.

l SIMON ROBERTS: Simon, based near Oswestry, has created an educational puzzle book for schoolchildren which uses Premiership football themes to make learning more interesting in mathematics classes.

l JOANNA SMITH: Joanna, from Shrewsbury, is a working mum who has come up with Aurora Daze, a new “affordable chic” method of helping cash-strapped families to recycle old clothes into trendy new designs.

Would YOU like to have your say on where the £5,000 top prize should go? Then book your ticket for the 2008 Shropshire Business Awards to make sure your opinion counts on the “Oscars” night for the county business community. For more details call Shropshire Chamber of Commerce on (01952) 208200.