Fingal’s Student Enterprise Programme Launches For Its 20th Year

Media Release

3rd December 2021

Fingal’s Student Enterprise Programme Launches For Its 20th Year

Over 13,250 Fingal students have benefited from creating their own business since programme began

Ireland’s largest student enterprise programme has been launched in what is now its 20^th year.  An initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices to encourage entrepreneurship in secondary schools, the Student Enterprise Programme has seen over 300,000 secondary school students take part nationally since it first began and over 13,250 taking part in Fingal from 2014 up to 2021.

Fingal has had success over the years with students Emily Carroll, Lucy Barnwell, and Hannah Barnwel of Loreto Balbriggan winning the Special Merit prize in Intermediate category in 2020/2021 with their product Bee Happy. Ava Gilmartin from Malahide-Portmarnock Educate Together also took the first prize in the Junior category at the National Student Enterprise Programme back in 2019. Aoife Ni Chuanaigh from Colaiste Ghlor na Mara won the Merit Prize in the Intermediate category, with her book "Make Every Step Count" in 2017.

The launch of the 21/22 programme saw the introduction of this year’s Student Enterprise Programme ambassador, All Ireland winning Limerick hurler, Sean Finn.  Finn launched this year’s programme at Desmond College in Newcastle West, Limerick, a college that has had success in recent years at the Student Enterprise Programme. 

Pictured: Limerick Hurler, Sean Finn with pupils from Desmond College in Newcastle West, Limerick

Deputy Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Daniel Whooley acknowledges that “The work the Student Enterprise Programme does is truly important as the competition helps to furnish young people in Fingal and around the country with key skills that are required in the real world. The programme helps to create entrepreneurs of the future who will undoubtedly contribute greatly to society.”

Pictured: Deputy Mayor of Fingal Cllr Daniel Whooley, Kenneth Wright, Senior Enterprise Development Officer at Fingal Local Enterprise Office and AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council

AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council refers to how: “The Student Enterprise Programme seeks to foster an entrepreneurial spirit among local students and given the right encouragement students can bring their ideas to life and establish a fully-fledged business. Fingal County Council, and the Local Enterprise Office, actively encourages the creation of new businesses within Fingal which helps to support the local economy. “

Oisín Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise at the Local Enterprise Office in Fingal, said: “The Student Enterprise Programme continues to go from strength-to-strength year on year and the 20^th year promises to be no different.  In recent years we have seen students react to create businesses that are solving real world problems, whether it be pandemic related or within sustainability and the green agenda.  Our students don’t want to just create a business, but a business that makes a difference in the world and it’s fantastic to see. We are looking forward to seeing what this year’s students have to offer.” 

 The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, saw over 2088 students from almost 25 secondary schools across Fingal take part in 2020 / 2021 with similar numbers expected to be involved this year. 

The students will compete across three categories, Junior, Intermediate and Senior and judging takes place virtually via electronic submissions.  Each student enterprise is challenged with creating, setting up and running their own business, which must show sales of their service or product. 

Students from Fingal will submit a business report and showcase their goods/services at the County Final on the 17th of May 2022 with support and guidance from the Fingal Local Enterprise Office. 

The programme also has two additional categories that students can enter.  These are the “Most Creative Business Idea” video competition for the Senior category and the “My Entrepreneurial Journey” category for the Junior and Intermediate categories.

Notable recent national winners of the Student Enterprise Programme include “Coppercase” in May this year who took home the senior prize.  The antimicrobial casing for face masks was the brainchild of Matthew McVicar of Macartans College in Monaghan, who is son of Combilift founder Martin McVicar.  In 2020, a clever attachment for a milking parlour, Handy Hose, took the senior prize and they are now listed with Glanbia across the country, while Fenu Health who also participated in 2016 /17 are taking the equine world by storm with their gut health supplements.   

Earlier this year, the 2020/2021 Student Enterprise Programme National Final winners in the Senior category were Coppercase from Macartan’s College in Monaghan for their antimicrobial copper lined case for face masks.  The Intermediate category was won by T-Snappi from Summerhill College in Sligo, while Go Green Now from Salerno Secondary School in Galway took the Junior category award.

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 300,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business.  The Student Enterprise Programme also has new range of online resources for 2021 / 2022 at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.   

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