FIVE entrepreneurs are set to present their enterprises to a Dragons’ Den-style panel after making it through to the next round of a business challenge.

The shortlist was selected from dozens of entries in The Northern Echo’s sixth annual If We Can, You Can Challenge, run by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum.

They will now get the chance to share their business story, plans for growth and long term ambitions with a panel of judges in Durham on Wednesday, July 17.

The opportunity will bring the candidates into contact with established entrepreneurs and experts in business services to mentor and advise them on next steps.

The shortlist are: Richard Llewellyn of Forell Unlimited; Dom Hodgson of Pack Leader Dog Adventures; Louise Kennedy of Oculus-HR Ltd; Jason Todd and Chloe McGuigan of Wisdom Card Ltd; and Stephen Shakleton of Petdata.

The panel, which comprises Lynn Gate of The Office Company, Stuart Stalker of PwC, Angela Armbruster of Yorkshire Bank, Mark Barton of Eutechnyx and John White of Rivers Capital, will select three finalists who will then go head to head in a public vote.

Northern Echo readers will have one week after the finalists are revealed to vote online for the entrepreneur they believe has the most promise.

The winner will be announced during the last week of July and presented with their prize at the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s prestigious Awards Dinner at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel on September 20.

The overall winner will receive a prize worth up to £17,000 in investment, mentoring and practical help from sponsors Yorkshire Bank, Ward Hadaway, Onyx Group, PwC and Rivers Capital, as well as exposure to the knowledge and business experience of Forum members.

If We Can You Can was established by the Forum to find the North-East’s most promising new start up or early stage enterprise.

It has shone the spotlight on the best of new North-East business and helped put scores of new entrepreneurs on the road to success by bringing them into contact with the knowledge, experience and advice provided by Forum members and partners.