THE Herald is to honour the most enterprising youths in Plymouth.

The Herald Youth Awards 2009 initiative launches today – and we want teachers, parents and others in the city to nominate those young people who have achieved great success in their activities over the past year.

We will then sift through the nominations and choose our winners, who will be announced at an awards ceremony in November.

We are inviting Plymothians to put forward young people who they believe deserve recognition.

We will collect the nominations over the next month before selecting the winners and giving them their awards during a glittering ceremony at City College Plymouth's Kings Road campus on Thursday November 19.

There are 12 award categories in total and the entries will be judged by a panel of judges headed by The Herald's editor Bill Martin.

The 2009 categories include The Herald Young Hero Award, The Herald Young Business Award and Environmental Project of the Year.

See right for details of each award and its sponsor.

We want youngsters who have made a difference to their community or shown entrepreneurial flair, whether they are individuals or in groups.

The main sponsors of the awards – now in their fourth year – are City College Plymouth, Plymouth City Council and Apex Core Training.

The awards are also, once again, part of Plymouth Enterprise Week. They have been highlighted as a flagship event in the week.

The five-day Enterprise Week festivities, which are being organised to champion business in the city as part of National Enterprise Week, will involve hundreds of people from all sorts of business backgrounds and countless young people.

But The Herald Youth Awards are being set up to offer something different – the chance to reward those young people who have put their heart and soul into business or the community.

The Herald's editor, Bill Martin, said: "We want as many people as possible in the city to nominate those young people who have excelled as entrepreneurs or workers in the community.

"These awards are a fantastic way to reward those who are talented and hardworking – and are helping to make their city a better place."

A spokesman for the University of Plymouth said: "The university is delighted to be once again supporting The Herald Youth Awards as part of Plymouth's Enterprise Week celebrations. They showcase so wonderfully the enterprising spirit of young people in the city and acknowledge the significant contribution they make economically, socially and culturally."

The closing date for nominations is Monday October 26. To nominate, follow the instructions on the dedicated website here

For the full programme for Enterprise Week, go to the www.plymouthenterpriseweek.co.uk website.