They may still be working on the kind of withering looks and acid put-downs that strike fear into hopefuls on the TV version of Dragons Den.

But a panel of dragons in Bradford are as confident as their multi-millionaire counterparts they can discover the businessmen and women of the future in a new competition for young entrepreneurs.

Established by IT businessman and dragon Craig Marsden, the Bradford Den is a competition targeting 16 to 25- year-olds to find those with the best business ideas in the district.

They will have to pitch their proposals to the dragons.

They are Ben Watson, a director of Bradford-based Digital Inc, Emmerdale actress Tanya Vital, Jonathan Smith, an associate director of Bradford City, and enterprise coach Shelley Tasker.

That will include a £1,000 start-up grant, office space at The Grid at Low Moor Business Park, where Mr Marsden's Style Loft group is based, a free website, a receptionist and administrative staff and mentoring from a qualified business coach.

Mr Marsden said: “We recognise that there is some great raw talent in the area and want to help them get up on their feet. Taking a Dragons Den style approach where we take an interest in these people’s businesses, work with them to develop ideas and get them to market we know we can help them to succeed.

“Our panel are all achievers in the real world of business and have all had great successes and made mistakes along the way.

“It is this real experience and belief in the fresh talent in our city that has motivated me to launch this privately funded initiative.”

Applicants need to e-mail their ideas by September 30 to info@dragonsdenbradford.co.uk.

Those who are successful will be short-listed to present to a group of dragons in October, with the winners starting work in mid November.

Dragon Jonathan Smith, who is also a director of Glue Marketing & Promotion, said: “This is not in any way an academic process, this is all about great ideas and getting them off the ground. Many young people are wary of setting up in business, yet many of our most respected entrepreneurs were not high flyers in school and started very young with little more than an idea and a bucket load of drive, we are confident we can build something special here. This is good for Bradford and is only the beginning.”

For details, visit the website dragon sdenbradford.co.uk.