South Cork entrepreneurs reach National Final of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur Competition
Local Enterprise Office South Cork has confirmed that Mark Moriarty of Awesound and Richard Barrett of Pundit Arena as South Cork’s entrepreneurs who have clinched a place in the national final of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) competition in Dublin this March.
The two 27 year-olds will be competing in the Best Start Up and Best Established Categorys and are two of three young entrepreneurs who will represent the Cork and Waterford Region. The local entrepreneurs now have the opportunity, along with 22 other national finalists, to become Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur and share in a €100,000 winners’ investment fund.
The Regional winners across three categories who will go forward to the National Final were selected at the IBYE Regional Final in Dungarvan this evening (19th January). The two other national finalist who were selected by the judging panel is Fiona Edwards Murphy of Apis Protect.
Sean O’Sullivan the Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office South Cork congratulated the local entrepreneur, saying: “Our search to find and support Ireland’s best young entrepreneurs, which started last September, has turned up some incredible business talent. Our local entrepreneurs are the business leaders of the future and the entrants in the competition have all shown innovation and drive. After a very successful bootcamp, County Final and now Regional Final, the county will be proudly represented in the ultimate stage of the competition – the IBYE National Final in March.”
Judging takes place in early March and each finalist will have the opportunity to pitch their business plan to the judging panel. They will be assessed on criteria such as the level of innovation in their business, the potential for future job creation and their leadership skills.
Aimed at 18 to 35-year-olds, the IBYE initiative is run by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) nationwide, and supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland. The investment awards will be used by the young entrepreneurs to help fund business start-ups, create new jobs locally and help develop new products for international markets.
Competition details and results are available from www.ibye.ie and information around the supports available to young entrepreneurs through the Local Enterprise Offices is available from www.localenterprise.ie
