Tauranga's young technological entrepreneurs are being sought for TrustPower's annual Mashup competition.

Bay of Plenty college students are being invited to showcase their best computer, marketing and business skills during the competition in April.

Otumoetai College students Alexia Grindle, Hannah Buist-Bainbridge, Samantha Grindle and Stevie Grondin in last year's Mash-up.

A Mashup is a webpage using and combining data, presentation or functionality from two or more sources, according to the Mashup website.

Students are encouraged to create a webpage useful for Bay of Plenty residents and to successfully outline, implement and market their business plan.

Trustpower's general manager of business solutions and technology Simon Clarke says it is important to encourage young students in technological areas.

'Mashup provides us with a wonderful opportunity to build on our existing connections with the education sector, and help with the development of up and coming technology talent, the young people who will go on to become the Bay of Plenty's technology brains and innovators of the future.”

Mashup coordinator Bruce Fraser agrees and says the competition gives the students an opportunity not just to build their technological skills, but also to think logistically about long-term business plans.

'We're really keen to push-on and get the kids thinking about commercialising their products.”

Last year a home-schooled team from Katikati won first place with a student's portal they created for Bay of Plenty Polytechnic which included information about bus routes and accommodation for potential students.

This year's competition will be held on April 13-14 at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's Bongard Centre where the polytechnic provides computers and broadband connections.

Local IT and business mentors will be on hand to provide support and guidance to the teams who have been invited from the Bay of Plenty's 24 secondary schools.

Bruce invites any IT or business professionals wishing to volunteer their time to mentoring the teams to contact him on 021 687 533.

More information about how to register can be found at www.mashup.co.nz.

Cash prizes will be offered to the top placing teams.