AN on-line fancy dress business from Worcester aimed at the university student market has won a major award for its founder, entrepreneur Dominic Portman.

Fancy Fresher, which provides university fancy dress costumes specific to Freshers Weeks across UK, took the West Midlands category in the 2014 Start Up Loans Competition.

Twenty-five-year-old Mr Portman, who lives in Worcester and went to Dyson Perrins High School, Malvern and then Nottingham Trent University, set up his businesses with the help of a £7500 Start-up Loan.

He was one of 12 regional winners, from food companies to wildlife gardens, announced at an awards ceremony at City Hall in London.

He said: "We hope to show students that enterprise IS a career option and to show that they don't HAVE to go down a set route. Fancy Fresher is expanding to work with university societies and sports teams who go to a party in fancy dress once a week. I also have future plans to start up Fancy Kids, a children’s fancy dress company as well as Fancy Stags and Fancy Hens.”

Partnered with more than 14 universities across the country, Fancy Fresher is designed to offer students customisable fancy dress packs, bespoke to their universities' official freshers' week events. Understanding how first year students may feel nervous about leaving home and being thrust into new social situations, Fancy Fresher makes the planning much easier and less intimidating, by delivering ahead of the start of the year and preparing the student for events to come.

The business, which beat off strong competition from 550 entrants, took on a Start-Up Loan to help fund growth, and has now taken on two new full-time employees, as well as a network of 70 part-time employees across the UK’s educational institutions. The company now helps promote local business specific to each university, by including vouchers in fresher packs to allow students to enjoy their new city on a budget.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "The Start Up Loans Company have enabled thousands of entrepreneurs to get their businesses up and running. Today’s winners illustrate the creativity and innovation that is at the heart of great British business. I congratulate them and hope they will inspire other businesses to work with us through the Start Up Loans programme."