OPPORTUNITY knocks for a talent-spotting school business after winning two county awards.

Apex Event Management, from Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone, achieved a rare double at the Kent and Medway Young Enterprise County final.

The Shepway teenagers edged out rivals from schools in Medway, Maidstone, Ashford, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Dartford and Dover to capture the top prize.

They also took the Kent Messenger Group engraved glass trophy for best presentation.

The event, held in the University of Kent, Canterbury. was compered by Antony Masters, group news editor of kmfm radio.

The Apex main venture – to organise an event to find the best school band – uncovered Paperface, which has gone on to win a recording deal.

The students shouted with joy when John London, Kent County Council chairman and a trustee of the Kent Foundation, the evening’s sponsor, opened the envelope and uttered those dramatic words: "And the winner is...."

Grant Robinson, Apex’s 16-year-old managing director, said he was amazed.

"We’ve done the double," he said. "When we got the presentation award we thought maybe that was a consolation but then when we won the main award, I thought, 'wow, that’s great'."

Apex was unusual in providing a service rather than selling products.

"We tried to get in touch with the youth of our school and music was a major way of doing that," said Grant, who wants to be an investment banker after university.

The company also won a Youth Enterprise event at Leas Cliff Pavilion, Folkestone, judged by former Tory leader Michael Howard.

Apex will compete in the regional final in Horsham.

Gary Marsh, head of business studies at Harvey, said: "They go into the next round with so much confidence. They’ve won three competitions and they’re on a roll. It’s great news for Shepway, great news for the school."

Alyson Howard, chairman of the Institute of Directors in Kent, and chairman of judges, said they were impressed by the profitability and longer-term potential of Apex.

She added: "The standard was superb this year and the best presentations I’ve ever seen.

"Every one of these young people stood up and had the confidence to make clear articulate speeches which would terrify most business people."