Wicklow

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Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur

New €2million National Competition to find Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur – Taoiseach, Minister Bruton

Winning business at county level can receive investment of up to €25,000, national winners eligible for investment of up to €50,000


A new national competition, to be run by the Local Enterprise Officeshas been launched to find Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur.

The competition is open to individuals aged 30 and under and will be judged under three distinct categories:

  • best new ideaSchool Students
  • best start-up business
  • best established business with new add-on

The first stage will be a county-based competition leading to the naming of the Best Young Entrepreneur in each county. This stage will include boot camps and mentoring programmes. This will be followed by regional finals and ultimately national finals with one business-person being crowned Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur before the end of the year.

 

The aim of the initiative is to encourage and support a culture of entrepreneurship among young people in Ireland, to promote entrepreneurship as a career choice, and to encourage the establishment and development of new innovative businesses by Ireland’s young entrepreneurs.

Applying is simple – go to localenterprise.ie or your Local Enterprise Office  – and the deadline is 31st July 2014.  Apply online by clicking here

Who can apply?

Before you are prepared to submit here are some criteria that you need to check out

  1. Age 30 years and under  (at 31st  December 2014).
  2. Original and innovative idea, start-up or existing business add on.
  3. Applicants must own,control and manage their business Intellectual Property.
  4. Not for profit and social entrepreneurship applicants must operate in a commercial domain.
  5. You must be eligible to own, manage and operate a business in Ireland at the time of application.
  6. Applicants from overseas who are eligible to operate a business in Ireland are encouraged to apply.
  7. You must submit a preliminary application online or via your local enterprise office by the closing date of the 31st July 2014.
  8. One project submission per applicant is allowed.
  9. Existing businesses that wish to apply must be promoted by a young entrepreneur (30 years of age and under) and must have a new plan to further develop the business.
  10. If you are under the age of 18 at the 31st of December 2014 we will require parental consent in order for you to participate in the competition.

To apply for Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur please go to www.ibye.ie

 

Please Note

The deadline for entries is midnight on Thursday 31st July 2014.  On Friday 1st August all entries will go through a preliminary judging process in order to be shortlisted for Boot Camp stage.  If you reach the boot camp you will be notified immediately. 

Please note that if you and your business reach the shortlist, the Boot Camp will be held on Friday 8th, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August 2014, at The Parkview Hotel in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow (http://www.parkviewhotel.ie/finding-our-hotel-in-wicklow.html). 

It is likely that the Friday session will commence in the afternoon, from approx. 2pm until 7.30pm.  Saturday will be a full day, from early morning until the evening, approx 8am until 5.30pm.  Sunday will most likely run from 9am until 1pm.  These times are subject to change. 

May we take this opportunity to wish you the best of luck in the first round of judging. 

 

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