Junior Apprentice - Preview

Junior Apprentice is coming to BBC One, with Sir Alan Sugar at its helm. The 5-part series will see 10 young contenders (five girls and five boys aged 16 to 17 years old) compete to become the first Junior Apprentice.

Multimillionaire and self-made businessman, Sir Alan Sugar left school at 16 with no money in his pocket and no qualifications but, against the odds, he battled his way to the top. Now he's on the hunt for teenagers aged 16 to 17 who have the same potential, with drive, determination and raw business talent.

Sir Alan says: "It is my long held belief that we should be doing more to promote enterprise amongst young people, as the future of our economy relies on them. I passionately believe that the key to business success lies in hard work and common sense and that we should encourage our young people as much as possible. Understandably, the contestants won't have any previous business experience, but all I want to see from them is an entrepreneurial aptitude and an enthusiasm to succeed."


Will the format be the same as the main series?

Sir Alan will guide the candidates through a variety of business tasks to test their entrepreneurial skills. Each week, teams will go head to head starting with the five boys against the five girls. As with the main series, the losing team will end up in the boardroom and the project manager will have to choose two people to join them in the firing line.

What does the winner get?

The Junior Apprentice chosen by Sir Alan will win a prize tailored to his or her individual career prospects, worth up to £25,000.

How do I apply?

Anyone wishing to take part in the show should go to bbc.co.uk/apprentice to apply. Candidates from all social backgrounds are being encouraged to apply - whether they are straight A students, from grammar or public school or have no academic qualifications.

Is this instead of a regular series of The Apprentice?

No, the series will be in addition to the main series, which returns for its sixth run in 2010.