Deadline: 16-Mar-23
Are you a third level student with a business idea that will blow our minds? If you have an idea with real commercial potential then the Student Entrepreneur Awards is the competition for you. It could be the first step on the way to being your own boss.
There’s an incredible first place cash prize of €10,000 to be won plus the opportunity to avail of specialist advice and assistance to potentially help turn your enterprise idea into a business reality. So get a team together for the most exciting challenge of your life so far.
Award Information
- Opportunity to become an entrepreneur Students can create the businesses they want to work in with unique support from the Student Entrepreneur Awards.
- Helps students stand out Taking part in this prestigious award demonstrates the commitment to innovation employers and investors seek.
- Cash to fund your start-up business €35,000 in cash prizes with the overall winner receiving €10,000.
- Expert advice and mentoring Support, advice and mentoring.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Student Entrepreneur Awards are open to full-time registered third level undergraduate and postgraduate students on the island of Ireland. Entries can be from individuals or teams. Joint entries from different colleges are eligible but if the entry gets to the final stage one college must take the lead. You can help the students by acting as a Supervisor. The Supervisor is the academic who helps the student/s to develop the project. It is not a requirement for projects to have a Supervisor to enter the competition.
Entries Must Meet the Following Criteria
- The idea must have commercial viability and export potential.
- Students must own, control and manage their business Intellectual Property where applicable.
- Not for profit and social entrepreneurship applicants must operate in a commercial domain.
- Students must have an ambition to start their business in Ireland and base their headquarters here.
- The maximum number is five students per team.
Judging Process
- The Student Entrepreneur Awards are judged in three stages. For each stage of the competition entries are evaluated and scored across the six points outlined in the scoring criteria.
- Stage 1 – All entries received before the submission deadline are sent for the first round of review by Enterprise Ireland’s Business Development Unit.
- Stage 2 – The top 50 projects are selected to go forward to the second round of the competition and submit a business plan to support their project. Business plans and videos are reviewed by the judging panel: Grant Thornton, Cruickshank, Local Enterprise Office, Technology Consultant and Enterprise Ireland.
- Stage 3 – The top ten entries are selected to pitch their project to the judging panel at the final in June.
The Pitch
- The ten finalists pitch to the judges and address specific questions in relation to their project. The judges then score each of the final ten entries as outlined in the scoring criteria. The entrants receiving the highest overall score are declared the winners within individual categories.
- The winners are announced at the awards ceremony in June each year.
- The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence or communication of any kind will be entered into in relation to decisions reached.
For more information, visit Student Entrepreneur Awards.