Innovation Arena at Ploughing Championship
Applications for the Enterprise Ireland sponsored Innovation Arena at this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Laois is now open. Details of the 2015 Innovation Area is available online at www.enterprise-ireland.com/innovationarena Applications close on Friday, May 1st at 3pm.
Innovators from the following industry sectors are encouraged to enter: dairy and dry-stock farming, horticulture, information and communication technology, cloud and mobile based software, animal health and genetics, water and waste management, environment and clean-tech, animal and farm management, farm safety and leading research. The competition is open to both startups and established companies with new agri-tech products to showcase. Last year’s category winners include HPSU’s clients FarmFlo, R&D project BovAlert from DIT Hothouse, established clients Dairymaster and Farm Relief Services.
The Prize Fund
The 2015 NPA Innovation Arena prize fund now totals over €65,000 in supports. Awards will be presented to the top Innovations in the following categories:
- Animal Health
- Agri-Software
- Agri-Engineering
- Safety
- Young Innovator Bursary to visit Agritechnica in Hannover, Germany in November 2015.
In addition, the Overall Award Winner will receive a top prize worth €15,000 from Enterprise Ireland and The Irish Farmers Journal which includes advertising and PR Support, mentoring and a cash prize of €5,000
All finalists will receive €500 worth of toplink.ie advertising vouchers to promote your innovation through the Irish Farmers Journal.
Am I eligible?
The NPA Innovation Arena provides an ideal opportunity for startup enterprises or small and medium businesses to introduce new products to the Irish and European market.
The NPA Ploughing Championship show is a great place to test the market and to capitalise on the interaction with industry buyers, agri-leaders, and visitors who flock to see new ideas shaping the agricultural landscape.
Criteria for New Innovations
- The innovation must be of strong Agricultural/Horticultural relevance;
- The innovation must have been released for sale after NPA Innovation Arena 2014 (September 2014), or is intended to be launched at NPA Innovation Arena 2015.
Consideration will be given to overseas innovations where distribution has taken place to the Irish market over the same time frame.
How to Apply
Please complete your application form as accurately as possible. The information you provide will determine your acceptance into the Innovations Arena. Uncompleted applications will not be accepted and a photo of your innovation must be attached. Your application will be reviewed by the Innovations Panel and you will be notified by email of your progress. If you are accepted, full payment is required before you are confirmed as a participant. The cost to enter The NPA Innovation Arena is €250 per entry. Completed applications will receive an email confirming your entry.
Any client enquiries that cannot be addressed through the website above can be directed towards innovationarena@enterprise-ireland.com
