Enterprise Challenge 2020 Pitch Competition
Congratulations to the students teams that won prizes and funding for local enterprises at the Enterprise Challenge 2020 – Online Pitch Competition (28/05/2020). At the competition, eight finalist teams of MSc and Final Year BSc Students from DCU and TU Dublin, representing eight different local enterprises competed by pitching on how their assigned enterprise could address challenges and realise opportunities.
The top 3 teams were:
1st TU Dublin student team, representing Feet First, lecturer Dr Lucia Walsh, won the title of ‘First Place’ along with a €1000 team prize fund and €2500 for Feet First to use towards implementing their recommendations and plan.
2nd DCU student team, representing FinTech Jobs, lecturer by Dr Peter Robbins, won ‘Second Place’ title, €500 team prize fund and €1000 for FinTech Jobs.
3rd TU Dublin student team, representing Maker, lecturer by Emma O’Brien, won ‘Third Place’, €250 prize fund and €500 for Maker.
The event, hosted by Mary Mac Sweeney (Deputy Head of Enterprise and Economic Development – Dublin City Council) was the culmination of this year’s Enterprise Challenge 2020. The challenge is a joint initiative between Dublin City Council (DCC), Local Enterprise Office (LEO) – Dublin City, Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and Dublin City University (DCU) which matches micro / small-medium commercial enterprises and social enterprises in Dublin with teams of Final Year or Masters Level - University Students.
As part of the initiative and linked to their academic module and course, 114 students worked with 24 selected enterprises to help provide insights, research, propose solutions and ultimately present a bespoke and tangible plan that sets out how challenges and opportunities could be addressed by the enterprise.
The competition prize fund for students / enterprises was provided via the Public Service Innovation Fund 2020 of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform / Our Public Service.
The pitches were judged by:
- Ciara O hAodha, Senior Economic Development Officer - Dublin City Council / LEO Dublin City
- Edel Flynn, Founder Element78Space; Director; Advisor etc.
- David Pollard, Co-Founder Sapien Innovation / Open Source Ventilator; Lecturer etc.
- Dr. Roisin Lyons, Assistant Professor in Entrepreneurship & Innovation - DCU
- Professor Thomas Cooney, Professor in Entrepreneurship - TU Dublin
Acknowledgements:
Special thanks to all the enterprises / social enterprises, DCU / TU Dublin students and lecturers that participated.
Enterprise Challenge 2020 is supported by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform / Our Public Service as part of the Public Service Innovation Fund 2020.
*The prize fund for students / enterprises is provided via the Public Service Innovation Fund 2020 for Enterprise Challenge 2020. (Please note prize funding may not be included in future iterations of Enterprise Challenge)
Further Information:
To find out more about the project, please visit: Enterprise Challenge 2020
For information on other supports to help start / grow enterprises in Dublin, please visit: Local Enterprise Office Dublin City
