Tertiary students are being encouraged to enter a team for the Mashup Bay of Plenty 2015 for the first time since the competition started in 2011.

Mashup, sponsored by the University of Waikato and formerly only open to secondary school students, will be held on March 28 and 29 at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's Bongard Centre.

Mashup Bay of Plenty is open to tertiary students for the first time this year.

A mashup is a web page or web application that uses content from more than one source to create a single new service displayed in a single graphical interface.

The teams in the competition work with mentors from the entrepreneurial world using IT, business planning and marketing skills to create a Mashup combining two or more existing data sources.

Teams should be building new tools for real world scenarios.

For example, a former entry called ‘Welcome to Study in the Bay' proposed to integrate sites about accommodation, courses and various study portals to provide a streamlined experience.

The Mashup weekend is an opportunity for students to put existing skills into practice and learn in a supportive environment.

The growth in the ICT industry and demand for qualified people make it a valuable stepping stone for students into the business world.

To register for free go to: www.mashup.co.nz

Registration will close on Monday, March 23.