About the Student Enterprise Programme
Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2002, 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 a comprehensive range of online resources at www.studententerprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.
We believe in the importance of educating students at an early age to gain practical experience of how business works. Through this programme the students experience, at first hand, the reality of a commercial environment and develop the skills and knowledge of running a business. The competition starts at county level with representatives from each category – Junior, Intermediate, Senior and My Entrepreneurial Journey – going forward to represent Offaly in the National Final.
In order to assist both students and teachers through the programme, the Local Enterprise Office offers every school four workshops in house with a highly experienced and motivated trainer.
Contact Mary McIntyre on 057 9357480 or email mary.mcintyre@leo.offalycoco.ie for more details
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 24,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part last year. The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Finals.
The hugely successful Offaly County Finals were held in the Tullamore Court Hotel on 5 March and first placed winners at Junior, Intermediate, Senior and My Entrepreneurial Journey categories will go forward to represent Offaly at the National Finals which will be held in the Mullingar Park Hotel on 9 May.
2024 Junior Category winners, representing Offaly at the National Finals are Adam Delaney, Aaron Kenny, Tom Halligan and Ethan Kelly from Gallen Community School, Ferbane with their business “Sweet Tooth Hampers”
2024 Intermediate Category Winners Aleksa Ponomarjova and Chloe Usher pictured with their teacher Patricia Hynes from Oaklands Community College, Edenderry will represent the county at the National Finals with their business “Peace of Mind”.
In the 2024 Senior Category of the competition Offaly will be represented at the National Final on May 9th by "D Fogarty Woodworks". Pictured from left to right Garry Lowe, Pat O'Gorman, Sinéad Hanniffy, Danielle Fogarty, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Orla Martin, Caitríona Duggan.
Offaly has had success over the years in the national finals – In 2023 Cru Capaill Ltd won a Merit Award. In 2021 Hology Photography from St Brendan’s Birr picked up the Excellence in Social Media Award and Abbey Bread from Cistercian College picked up the highly coveted 1st place in the senior category in 2018. Caballis Equine Ltd from Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore won the Innovation Award at the National Finals in 2016 and In the Intermediate Category, Offaly again won the Innovation Award with the business Farm Friendly Feeder from Gallen Community School, Ferbane. In 2015 1st place in the Senior Category was won by Shíofra Ryan from St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr for her specially designed hurling boot “An Tioncar”.
At the Offaly County Final - Mobile Mounts from Ard Scoil Chiaráin Naofa, Clara
At the Offaly County Final - Tí Nádúr, Killina Presentation Secondary School
2024 My Enterpreneurial Journey Intermediate Category was won by Eva Lowndes “Golf Girls Ltd” pictured from left to right Garry Lowe, Lisa Molloy, Eva Lowndes, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Orla Martin
At the Offaly County Final - Zip n Scrunchies from Coláiste na Sionna, Banager
At the Offaly County Final - Rian's Bottled Crafts from Coláiste na Sionna, Banagher
At the Offaly County Final - Woodcraft's Men from Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore
Website: www.studententerprise.ie / #studententerprise / Twitter: @StudentEntProg / Facebook: /studententerpriseprogramme / Instagram: /studententerpriseprogramme
