Ten Shropshire inventors are one step closer to winning a potentially life-changing £5,000 prize after reaching the semi finals of a Dragons Den-style competition.

Star Idea was launched by the Shropshire Star to recognise entrepreneurs who have developed a recipe for commercial success, but needs cash and expert support to make it happen.

One lucky winner will receive £5,000 in cash, plus priceless business support, to turn their dreams into reality.

}Dozens of diverse ideas flooded in from all corners of the county, and they have now been whittled down to a shortlist of ten, who will be invited to present their ideas to the Star Idea panel in early June.

Three finalists will then get the chance to sell their ideas to the audience at the Shropshire Business Awards on June 27, when they will vote for the winner.

The Star Idea panel is made up of four prominent local business people, with wide-ranging commercial expertise. They are Fay Easton from Shropshire Enterprise Partnership, Diana Thompson of the E-Innovation Centre in Telford, Peter Pawsey from the Rural Regeneration Zone, and Ian Morris of Turner Peachey chartered accountants.

The semi-finalists they will be judging this year are:

• MIKE DRAGE: Mike, from Longden Coleham in Shrewsbury, has designed a telescopic and collapsible book holder, particularly targeted at elderly, arthritic and disabled people.
   
• AARON BROWNSDON: Aaron, from Little Ness, wants to launch a new Super Shuttle transport service, offering passengers an alternative travel method between the county town and Birmingham.
  
• SYLVIA JONES: Sylvia, from Horderley near Craven Arms, has designed an intelligent² fire detection system capable of not only raising the alarm in a fire, but telling property owners where the fire is.
  
•  JOANNA MANOUSIS: Joanna, from Harlescott in Shrewsbury, has designed a new range of hand-crafted glass jewellery which has already landed her design prizes, and received acclaim at trade shows.
  
• NIGEL BRADLEY: Nigel, from Ludlow, is a window cleaner who has developed new systems to make ladders safer and more sturdy, to prevent them slipping and causing accidents.
  
• MICHAEL PERKINS: Michael, from Muxton in Telford, is seeking cash to produce a working prototype of his ³stressless cords² which reduce strain on electrical cables and leads.
  
• TOM SULLIVAN: Tom, from Shrewsbury, is keen to revive the production of the famous Shrewsbury Biscuit in the town, by baking and packaging it locally.
  
• GRAHAM FIELDHOUSE: Graham, from Trench in Telford, has developed a new brake light system for cars, designed to differentiate between drives ³dabbing² their brakes, and those braking more sharply.
  
• SIMON ROBERTS: Simon, based near Oswestry, has developed an educational  puzzle book for schoolchildren which uses Premiership football themes to  make learning more interesting.
  
• JOANNA SMITH: Joanna, from Shrewsbury, is a working mum who has come up  with a new ³affordable chic² method of helping cash-strapped families to  recycle old clothes into trendy new designs.

Would YOU like to have your say on where the £5,000 top prize should go?  Then book your ticket for the 2008 Shropshire Business Awards to make sure your vote counts. For more details call Shropshire Chamber of Commerce on 01952 208200.