550 Students Showcase 110 Mini-Enterprises at Belle Etoile

On Friday 28 February and Saturday 1 March 2025, Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg asbl (JEL) organised a “mini-enterprises” showcase event at the Belle Etoile shopping centre in Bertrange.

According to JEL, the event highlighted the talent and innovation of 550 young people, representing 25 secondary schools in Luxembourg. With 110 mini-enterprises (or mini companies) present, this edition offered a real showcase of the entrepreneurial potential of future generations.

JEL added that the students set up and decorated stands to offer visitors a wide range of innovative products and services. This initiative allowed them to put their sales skills into practice and to confront a real clientele, which JEL described as a valuable experience for their future professional lives.

Luxembourg’s Minister of Consumer Protection, Martine Hansen, and the Minister of Education, Children and Youth, Claude Meisch, attended the event.

During the two days, visitors had the opportunity to choose their favourite mini-enterprise by voting via an online form. The “LetzLearn” team, a mini-enterprise from the secondary school Athénée de Luxembourg, won the prize. This team is developing an application aimed at teaching Luxembourgish and helping foreigners in their journey to obtain Luxembourgish nationality. The LetzLearn students were described as having persuaded the public about their product and having adopted a proactive approach to meeting and convincing customers. The team will receive a prize sponsored by Cactus.

Members of the JEL Alumni committee (former participants of the Jonk Entrepreneuren programmes) also visited the stands and awarded prizes to the Lucillin mini-enterprise from Lycée Robert Schuman and to Bloomique from the Mondorf-les-Bains International School (EIMLB).

The Lucillin team, made up of four girls, offered skincare products, including a facial cleanser, a moisturiser and a lip balm. These products, suitable for sensitive skin, are made from ingredients available in Luxembourg.

The Bloomique team, made up of two girls, sells creative, non-allergenic flowers made from pipe cleaners.

JEL explained that the Mini-Enterprises programme offers students aged sixteen to nineteen the opportunity to learn how to take a business idea from concept to reality. By challenging secondary school students to solve a problem in their community, through a business venture, the programme aims to free their entrepreneurial spirit and help them discover their talents, passions and interests. During the student experience of running their own business, they are accompanied by a teacher and a “coach” from the professional world. Students become actors in their project throughout the school year.

Students also come into contact with several volunteers from the business world, who share their experience and serve as mentors. This allows them to gain a better insight into the world of work and the skills required on the job market.

HOM