A BOLTON businessman has been given a second chance to bid for a chance to pitch to business mogul Richard Branson.

Mike Phillips, aged 65, is aiming to pitch his virtual balloon race idea to Mr Branson.

Virgin Media, which is running the national competition, has accepted that there were some issues with their website and has now agreed to reopen voting from Monday, May 18 at 10am to 5pm on Wednesday May 20.

Mr Phillips is the managing director of Bolton-based Rentaballoonrace.com – which he says is the world’s only 100 per cent eco-friendly virtual balloon race in which everything is real except the balloon.

The races work using software which factors in real global weather data to simulate what an actual latex balloon would do when let off into the sky.

Mr Phillips said: “We are the only Bolton company in the contest as far as I know and we need as many people to vote for us when the competition reopens next week.

“Our company regularly raises money for vulnerable people, we feel we do the right things and it would be great to get people behind us.”

If Rentaballoonrace.com is successful, Mr Phillips will get the chance to go through to a live final event in London next month where he will pitch directly to Sir Richard Branson – and potentially win a share of more than £1,000,000 in prizes including advertising campaigns, cash investments and mentoring.

The entrepreneur is also asking for schoolchildren across the borough to write letters to try and persuade the Virgin boss to come to Bolton to speak with young people and impart some of the business knowledge that has led to his huge global success.

Mr Phillips said: “We don’t get many major celebrities in Bolton and I just think it would be fantastic if Mr Branson came here and perhaps spoke at a school about what it takes to be an entrepreneur, but we need young people to write a letter to convince him to come.”

Any young people willing to take up the challenge can send their arguments as to why Richard Branson should come to Bolton to letters@theboltonnews.co.uk. To vote for the Bolton business when the competition reopens visit http://rabr.co.uk/virginvote.