Young entrepreneurs from schools across Fife took centre stage at Dragon’s Den 2026, held at Studio8, Glenrothes, pitching their social enterprise ideas as part of a competition designed to inspire creativity, innovation and enterprise.
Dragon’s Den forms part of Fife Council’s Culture of Enterprise Programme, which encourages entrepreneurial thinking in schools and helps young people develop creativity, teamwork, social responsibility and real-world business skills.
Delivered in partnership with Social Enterprise Academy the initiative gives young people hands-on experience of developing and presenting business ideas that can make a positive difference in their communities.
Due to the high number of entries this year, the competition was split into primary and secondary school categories. This year also marked the introduction of the Pupils’ Choice Award, giving participants the opportunity to vote for the team they believed demonstrated the strongest idea and impact.
After a strong standard of presentations, the following awards were announced:
Primary School Category
Overall Winner – Rimbleton Primary School with Golden Guardians
Runner-Up – Warout Primary School with Balanced Bites
Pupils’ Choice Award – Dairsie Primary School with The Circular Economy
Secondary School Category
Overall Winner – Bell Baxter High School with HK Bags
A pupil from Rimbleton Primary School said,
“We had lots of fun coming up with our idea and working together.”
All participating teams received £50 to support the continued development of their social enterprise ideas, with the overall winners receiving £100 in seed funding to help grow their businesses.
Dot Smith, Enterprise and Business Development Manager for Economic Development, added:
"It’s fantastic to see young people developing their ideas and presenting them with such confidence. Events like Dragon’s Den show how programmes like Culture of Enterprise help pupils build important skills while exploring how their ideas can make a positive difference.”
Dragon’s Den continues to play an important role in developing the next generation of entrepreneurs in Fife, supporting Fife Council’s Culture of Enterprise Programme and helping young people build the confidence and skills needed for the future.
