SMITHFIELD – A team of Bryant University sophomores recently took first place in a business plan contest at Babson College, earning $27,500 to develop their idea for a water purification business.

The Bryant students beat out 29 other teams at the annual Ideas Into Action Business Plan Competition on Oct. 16 with their presentation for PURO, a portable and customizable individual water filtration system.

In addition to the six-minute presentation and questions-and-answers session from the judges, the team also submitted documents outlining market analysis, opportunities and competitive advantage.

At the competition’s finals, the Bryant students edged out two other finalist teams from Babson that submitted plans for customizable shoes for children and an eldercare Web site.

The Bryant team first developed the idea for PURO in a Business 101 class, a hands-on course the team members took last year with management lecturer Dave Greenan.

The team included Jena Zinno of Johnston; Morgan Morris of Sandwich, Mass.; Emily Charpentier of Walpole, Mass.; Paul Dornfeld of Newton, Mass.; Kayla Manzi of Agawam, Mass.; and Lauren Sheridan of Bethpage, N.Y.