A green business wanting to boost plastic recycling, and a cleaning company focusing on the critters you can’t see, are just two of the ventures hoping to pick up a £4,000 prize in the Shropshire Star’s Dragons’ Den-style competition.

There are just two weeks left for entrepreneurs and fledgling companies to enter Star Idea 2010 and be in with a chance of winning the cash that could make business dreams come true.

Peter Pawsey, of the Rural Regeneration Zone, Di Thompson of the e-Innovation Centre at the University of Wolverhampton’s Priorslee campus and Ian Morris, of Turner Peachey Chartered Accountants, once again make up our expert panel of dragons.

They will be sifting through the entries and selecting a shortlist of entrepreneurs who will be invited to present their ideas to the panel next month.

The 2009 competition saw the best-ever shortlist of semi-finalists, with the judges saying it was difficult to pick the top three.

Mr Pawsey said: “Any one of the semi-finalists in 2009 would have been a finalist in previous years with the quality of the entries extremely high.”

Mr Morris said last year entrants showed some “great” ideas, adding it was “vastly encouraging” to see so many new ideas for business in Shropshire and Mrs Thompson said the 2009 entries was of an “outstanding calibre.”

Last year’s Star Idea winner Kerry Swinton is continuing to build on her success with the BBC calling on her Telford-based business Teeny Beanies for help.

Specialising in making themed beanbags, she was asked by researchers on makeover show DIY SOS to create a design for a special project they are working on.

Kerry sent the beanbag off to the designers week.

Any Star Idea entrants from previous years are invited to enter again this year, including businesses which have since made it off the ground but need that extra cash to develop and grow.

The semi-finalists will be invited to give a presentation to the judges on April 26 at the Shropshire Star’s offices in Telford. The winner will be chosen in a three way vote by the judges, an online poll at www.shrop shirestar.com and guests at the Shropshire Business Awards on June 4 when the winner is announced.

• HOW TO ENTER Send 300 words telling us about your idea and what you would do with the £4,000 prize to: Star Idea, Shropshire Star, Waterloo Road, Ketley, Telford TF1 5HU, or e-mail businessdesk@shropshirestar.co.uk Evidence of a business plan would be beneficial, but is not essential.

By Business Editor Amy Bould