Jarrow School pupils Lucy Charlton and Sarah Wilson, both 11, and Kelly Whitfield and Nicola Harkus, both 12, have come up with an idea to market a mobile telephone specially for children.

The team are the youngest UK entrants in The Big Ideas ICT Youth Challenge 2008 competition.

The competition calls for new business ideas, from young people up to the age of 20, based on information and communication technology.

The girls have certainly done their homework. They surveyed more than 400 school pals and parents to find out what their biggest concerns to do with mobile phones are.

Answers they received included text bullying, unwanted calls from salespeople, parental control over access to numbers and websites, the ability to call family members or teachers in an emergency after their credit had run out, mobile chat rooms and mugging for mobile phones.

The youngsters decided biometric identification could be the answer to some of the problems identified, so they approached UK Biometrics to find out about the latest technology.

The pupils then spent a morning at the Newcastle-based company brushing up on the latest technology.

UK Biometrics sales director Steve Barnard said: "We spent a morning with the girls, and were impressed with their grasp of the technology.

"We have been researching biometric security for palm-held devices including mobile phones for more than a year, and many of the features requested by the girls are achievable with available technology.

"We wish them every success in the competition, and look forward to signing contracts with our youngest ever technology partners in about four years' time when they turn 16."

Les Jones, headteacher at Jarrow School, a specialist engineering school, said: "Some of our youngest budding engineers and entrepreneurs have come up with a startling idea while working with a top communications and engineering company.

"We often find students think differently to trained adults, and in some cases arrive at novel – and practical – solutions to scientific or engineering challenges.

"This is the case with our Year 7 girls who have been working with UK Biometrics and Tedco.

"We are very grateful to both organisations for involving our students – the scientists and engineers of the future – in their programme.

"The youngsters are a really impressive group."

In addition to being the youngest entrants in The Big Ideas ICT Youth Challenge 2008, the girls are the youngest entrepreneurs to receive assistance from South Tyneside-based enterprise agency Tedco.

Tedco enterprise champion Carol Metcalfe added: "The girls' enthusiasm for their project rubs off on everyone they contact.

"They have already beaten off competition from much older groups during the early stages."

They will present their idea to a panel including judges from Microsoft and BT at The HotHouse Event to be filmed by the BBC between Monday, June 30, and Friday, July 4.