GI Follow-on Project: PA Consulting
Two participants from Catalyst’s 2024 Generation Innovation Work Experience Programme have been given the opportunity to present their innovative idea to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and partner company, PA Consulting, the global innovation and transformation consultancy.
Taking part in the free Work Experience Programme at the Dungannon location, Kinga Popek and Rebecca Beggs, Year 13 students from St Patrick’s Academy and Lurgan College, were presented with a real-world sustainability-focused challenge from their partner company, PA Consulting. The pair had to work together to find a solution and pitch the final idea to their peers and a panel of senior executives from PA.
Kinga Popek and Rebecca Beggs
Looking at sustainability within the farming industry, Kinga and Rebecca developed an idea called ‘Eco Rating’ which is designed to power sustainable progress in farming. The innovative 5-point rating system tailored for the agricultural industry offers farmers an accessible, straightforward way to assess and enhance sustainable practices across their operations. Each point in the rating reflects a commitment to positive change from soil health to energy use, water conservation and biodiversity protection. By identifying actionable steps and celebrating progress, Eco Rating is a guide to smarter, greener farming that empowers users to turn sustainable practices into real business value.
Extremely impressed with the duo’s innovative solution, Karen Duffy & Paul Connolly from PA invited Kinga and Rebecca to its Belfast Office for a two-day ‘Bring Your Idea to life’ workshop. Following the workshop, the pair presented their developed concept to a panel of industry experts from Catalyst and PA, including its CEO, Christian Norris.
Garnering attention from the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Kinga and Rebecca were then invited to meet and present their Eco Rating app to a panel of representatives from DAERA.
“The Generation Innovation Programme has been going from strength to strength over the past six years, and we are delighted to have our largest cohort ever this year across the Belfast, Derry~Londonderry and Dungannon.
The quality of participants and their ideas continues to be of an extremely high standard, and we are delighted that Kinga and Rebecca have received the recognition for their innovative sustainable idea and given the opportunity to present. We would encourage anyone interested in innovation to consider applying next year.”