Project Description

The Big Bag Challenge 2025

Schools Involved
Glenrothes High School
St Andrews RC High School
Viewforth High School
Queen Anne High School
Lochgelly High School
Beath High School
Dunfermline High School

Organisations Involved
Opportunity Warehouse Fife
Culture of Enterprise
Social Enterprise Academy
Young Enterprise Scotland
Eden Fyfe Accountants
Electricity Asset Services

Activity Type
Work Inspiration and Preparation

The Challenge
High School students from across Fife were challenged to design or source bags, and sell them, giving them a real taste of what it’s like to run a business.

The challenge was a chance for young people to develop skills they’ll use in the workplace and beyond. From ‘Bag It Forward’ to’ Buy-A-Bag-To-Donate’ and ‘Bag-Bingo’ sales initiatives, each school made the challenge their own, selling bags in the local community with all proceeds donated to partnering charities or invested in back into school events.

What Did Pupils Gain?
Real-World Experience: From creative ideation to business planning.
Qualifications:  Participating young people were awarded an N5 Retail qualification.
Increased Confidence:  In presentation, research and communication skills, teamwork and making decisions in a supportive environment.
Sustainability Awareness:  A focus on eco-friendly products and responsible business was a key success indicator.
Career-Boosting Skills: Problem-solving, sales, marketing, merchandising and an entrepreneurial mindset!

Celebration Event
At the celebration event, each school was assigned the task of creating a 10-minute presentation that covered various aspects of their project, including the planning stage, market research, sales and performance, sustainability and future outlook, as well as what made their project unique. The panel and guests were deeply impressed by the journeys shared by the students and the staff, highlighting the skills for life, learning, and work that had been developed.

Key highlights of the day included branding names such as “Mixed Bag,” which was chosen to reflect the idea that “we are all unique,” a catwalk event featuring senior boys from the school, sales at Mercat shopping centre, local markets, online platforms, and school events. Additionally, the use of AI to create presentations with voiceovers—where bags themselves spoke to the audience—was particularly innovative. Most importantly, students demonstrated their ability to identify the personal skills and qualities they had gained through the program and present their learning experiences.

Following the presentations, the judges engaged in deliberations and scoring while guest speaker Stewart Herron from Electricity Asset Services delivered a talk to the schools and staff about the growth, challenges, and lessons learned in his business. The students were also given the opportunity to ask Stewart questions that would aid in the development of their own ideas, skills, and enterprises.

Upon returning to the room, the judges reached a consensus that all schools and participants were winners for taking part in the challenge and the valuable learning journey they had experienced. However, after a closely contested scoring process, Bob Garmory announced that St Andrews RC High School was the winner of the 2025 DYW Fife Big Bag Enterprise Challenge. As part of their prize, they will enjoy a world-of-work excursion at Amazon.

Feedback
“Fantastico.” – Pupil, Lochgelly High School

“The morning was really good fun, and I was blown away by the efforts that everyone put into their presentations.” – Stewart Herron Electricity Asset Services

“I was honoured to be part of the DYW Big Bag Enterprise Challenge 2025. At Eden Fyfe Accounts we are passionate about supporting young people as they step into the world of work. The energy and creativity displayed by the students reaffirm our commitment to nurturing the next generation of innovators and leaders. They were truly inspiring, making them all winners.” – Lisa Bray Eden Fyfe Accountants & DYW Fife Board

‘I was delighted to support the event by being a judge. The standard of every pitch was outstanding and deciding on a winner was a challenging task. It was heartening that many of the businesses had included a social enterprise element into their businesses.” – Joan Alexander Education Manager, Social Enterprise Academy

“Fife’s young entrepreneurs excelled at the recent Big Bag Celebration event, showcasing creativity, passion, and confident pitches. Their bold ideas, combined with hard work, raised funds to support their schools, local communities, and even Malawi in one inspiring example. Hearing their experiences was very motivating—a fantastic display of innovation making a real difference!” – Nicola Masterson Quality Improvement Officer Positive Destinations and DYW

Conclusion
At DYW Fife, we’re proud to support initiatives like this, that bridge the gap between education and the workplace.

Schools completed the challenge in completely different ways, but it was clear that the program influenced young people to be engaged in this project-based learning through enterprise, in a non-traditional education pathway.

A huge well done to all the students involved, as well as the teachers, mentors, and businesses who supported them along the way!

If you’d like to get involved in future projects or find out more about how we support young people, contact us: https://dywfife.com/contact/