The Observer - 6th March 2011

Britain's new entrepreneurs: young guns go for it

Edwin Broni-Mensah, you could argue, is an academic or a philanthropist whose scheme is either naively idealistic or brilliant or both. Either way, as soon as you've r ead about his idea, you'll be kicking yourself for not having thought of it. We're sitting beside the Serpentine on an unusually warm winter morning in London's Hyde Park. Broni-Mensah is patiently expounding the perils of toxic BPA plastic bottles while I try to hide my bottle out of shame. Phasing out these hateful bottles is the aim of his project, now in its second year. Two minutes in, he spots mine, politely balks and I apologise. Major eco fail.

BBC - 4th August 2010

Manchester student's water plan for Africa

A student has created a re-usable water bottle to raise money to irrigate drought-stricken African countries.

Edwin Broni-Mensah has launched "Give Me Tap", a business that enables people to fill a special aluminium bottle with water at eateries across Manchester.

The 25-year-old will then put 70% of his profits into providing clean water for those who desperately need it in Africa.

More than 40 cafes and restaurants have signed up to the scheme so far.

The Independent on Sunday - 7th July 2010

Public drinking fountains cool down New Yorkers

The project named ‘water on the go' is run by volunteers who set up and dismantle the water fountains at the start and end of each day. This is the latest initiative from the city which announced plans in May, to begin phasing out bottled water from state owned agencies over the next six months.

Similar schemes are in place around the world, including England where, under the ‘Give me Tap' campaign, consumers can take reusable bottles to several restaurants and have them refilled free of charge.

Trend Watching - 6th July 2010

Innovation Insanity. 67 Innovations - GiveMeTap is a Generation G enteprise

GiveMeTap lets consumers in the UK refill their water bottles for free at participating cafés. Beginning in Manchester, GiveMeTap has signed up numerous restaurants and cafés willing to supply free access to clean tap water; said providers can be located via PC or smartphone using GiveMeTap's mapping service. In order to partake, consumers need to be carrying one of GiveMeTap's branded aluminium bottles, which are priced at GBP 7. GiveMeTap uses 70 percent of the profits from those sales to fund independent water projects in regions where they're most needed.

Springwise - 21st May 2010

Water-bottle refills at cafes, now with a charitable twist

There are few things more satisfying than seeing a good idea spread, and that's just what we had occasion to witness recently. Just as TapIt lets New Yorkers refill their water bottles for free at participating cafés, so GiveMeTap does much the same for those in the UK.

Consumers get free water; café owners get free publicity and footfall; and water-focused help goes to those in need. Hard to imagine a nicer win-win-win!

The Independent - 13th May 2010

Take a lesson from the entrepreneurs who simply couldn't wait to graduate

Other students want to do good as well as be entrepreneurial, such as Edwin Broni-Mensah, a maths PhD student at Manchester University. He established GiveMeTap, an enterprise that has created a network of cafes that give free tap water to people who carry a reusable aluminium bottle, which students buy for £7.

Green Wise - 28th April 2010

Eco-friendly water ‘on the go’ start-up gets business flowing

A Manchester-based start-up has found a way to help restaurants and cafés boost their client base at the same time as helping people on the go have access to fresh water for free in an environmentally friendly way.

GiveMeTap is the brainchild of young entrepreneur and Manchester University student Edwin Broni-Mensah, who wanted to do something to address the growing global water crisis. His company invites Manchester-based eateries to sign up and supply free access to clean tap water to those who carry a GiveMeTap aluminium bottle.

Crain's Manchester Busniess - 12th April 2010

Student shows bottle with water business

A University of Manchester Student has started a new business based on converting bottled water drinkers to tap water. Edwin Broni-Mensah, who is doing a PhD in Mathematics, devised a branded GiveMeTap bottled and persuaded 26 cafes and restaurants to offer users free refills.

Manchester Evening News - 8th April 2010

Young Manchester Entrepreneur Edwin Broni-Mensah has been awared £1,000 to help him develop his GiveMeTap business. The 24-year-old's enterprise enables people with his branded bottles to receive free tap water refills from cafes and restaurants in the city. The cash boost has been awarded under the Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas programme.

The Business Desk - 7th April 2010

Manchester entrepreneur's 'grand idea' for water consumption

A YOUNG entrepreneur from Manchester University has been awarded £1,000 by Shell LiveWIRE's Grand Ideas programme to help him develop his business called GiveMeTap. Edwin Broni-Mensah, 24, has founded a business that enables users of a specially-branded GiveMeTap bottle to get free tap water refills from a network of cafés and restaurant owners in the Manchester area.

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Shell LiveWIRE - 29 March 2010

GiveMeTap wins £1,000 for refreshing new idea

Edwin Broni-Mensah (www.GiveMeTap.co.uk) was awarded £1,000 for his business in a special Shell LiveWIRE elevator pitch competition that took place at the NACUE 'Business Not As Usual' conference at UCL London on 27th-28th March.

23 young student entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to Shell LiveWIRE's Stuart Anderson and Paul Lancaster on Saturday 27th, who then had the difficult task of shortlisting 3 to come back and pitch again to the entire audience of conference delegates the next day.

Despite some excellent pitches from all 3 finalists, it was a landslide victory for Edwin, whose GiveMeTap business enables users of a specially-branded GiveMeTap bottle (costing £7) to get free tap water refills from a network of cafes and restaurant owners in the Manchester area (with London soon to follow).

To see video footage of Edwin's winning elevator pitch go to Shell LiveWIRE

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