Excitement builds as student entrepreneurs compete in Cork City Student Enerprise Programme Final

Excitement builds as student entrepreneurs compete in Cork City Student Enterprise Programme Final

  

The Cork City Schools Enterprise Programme 2019/20 will host its annual Cork City Final at Devere Hall, in University College Cork, on Monday, March 9, next.  Run by the Local Enterprise Office, Cork City, the event is open to the general public, giving student mini-companies the opportunity to showcase their new business ideas and exhibit their products to a wider audience.

 

Over one hundred students will be taking part from nine schools across Cork city: Colaiste An Spioraid NaoimhSt Angela's CollegeBishopstown Community SchoolScoil MhuireSt. Aloysius Girls School, Christ King Girls' Secondary School, Cork Educate Together School, Glanmire Community College, Presentation Brothers College, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, St. Patrick's College and Ursuline Secondary School

 Student Entreprenueurs head to UCC for Cork City Final

Devere Hall will accommodate 45 exhibition stands and over the course of the morning and students will be judged on their business ideas and acumen; competing for 'Best Student Enterprise of the Year'. The overall winning team will receive a cup and a winner's prize of €500, while their school will also be presented with a cup and €1500. The winning team will also go on to represent the Local Enterprise Office, Cork City, at the National Student Enterprise Awards final in Dublin on Friday May 1 at Croke Park                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Other categories at the City Final include Best Commercial Potential, Best Business Report, Best Sales, Best Display Stand and teachers will also have the chance to win 'Enterprise Educator of the Year' during the event. 

Red FM's Kilian Petit is MC for the day and will also be spinning some tunes for the students over the course of the morning. Speaking ahead of the event, Head of Enterprise, Paul McGuirk, said: "We are really excited about this year’s City final. Student have been working really hard since September 2019 and this is their opportunity to shine" 

Mr McGuirk’s words were echoed by co-ordinator of the Cork Schools Enterprise Programme, Theresa Mulvihill said, “We’ve arrived at the most exciting and demanding part of the programme where the finalists are so close to being the best in the city and also to representing Cork in the National Final at Croke Park. It’s been another fantastic competition so far this year and we look forward to seeing how each team presents their ideas in the City Final at UCC.”

The Local Enterprise Office Cork City's Schools Enterprise Programme is an enterprise education programme that gives second level students in Cork City the opportunity to set up and run a mini-company over the course of the academic year in order to learn what it’s really like to be an entrepreneur.  A range of interactive enterprise activities are organised during the school year to encourage students from 1st – 6th year to learn more about entrepreneurship and what’s involved in setting up and running a business.  The Programme runs from September to April with high profile national finals taking place in Dublin on the 1st of May this year.  

Local Enterprise Week 2020 has also bee launched by the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Cork City this week. This year the schedule is packed with events from a walking networking session on South Mall to a food event on sustainability. Local Enterprise Week 2020 runs until Friday 6th March, 2020 and all of the events throughout the week are free of charge.