Local Enterprise Office Search for Limerick & Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur 2018

Local Enterprise Office Search for Limerick & Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur 2018 – The launch of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur 2018

Local Enterprise Office Search for Limerick & Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur 2018

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Limerick is searching for Limericks Best Young Entrepreneur and possibly Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur 2018 (IBYE).

The competition is open to people between the ages of 18 and 35 with an innovative business idea, new startup or established business and has an investment fund of up to €2million and there is a €50,000 county investment fund on offer to local winners and runners-up in Limerick

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Now in its 4th year, Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur 2018 is a programme run by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), including LEO Limerick with the support of the Department of Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland.

There are three categories: Best Business Idea, Best Start-Up Business and Best Established Business with up to 450 young entrepreneurs being invited to attend free local ‘Entrepreneur Bootcamps’ to help them develop their business and new venture ideas.

The closing date to enter Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur 2018 competition is Friday, 29th September 2017.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Frances Fitzgerald said: “Building on the success of previous IBYE competitions, this Government wants to support more young entrepreneurs right across the country through the LEOs.”

“Ireland has a well-earned reputation as a country that supports and fosters enterprise.  Our young entrepreneurs are talented, innovative and dynamic.  Last year, 180 young entrepreneurs won investment funding for their businesses through IBYE, helping them reach their export and job growth potential.”

“I would encourage all young entrepreneurs, between the ages of 18 and 35, to talk to their LEO about the Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur 2018 programme and the valuable supports available throughout the various stages of the competition.”

Eamon Ryan Head of Enterprise with LEO Limerick said: “The substantial investments available under IBYE are a very important part of the programme and will help more young entrepreneurs here locally to grow their businesses and create more jobs.”

“Other business supports, such as management training, networking and one-to-one mentoring are also at the heart of IBYE.  Last year, 450 young entrepreneurs all over the country benefitted from these business supports and 180 of them won investment funding to help start and grow their own businesses, so the rewards are there for participants, as well as for the winners.”

“Taking part in IBYE will help Ireland’s young entrepreneurs move their businesses to the next level with the support of their Local Enterprise Office, whatever stage their business is at.”

Minister of State for Business, Pat Breen said: “Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur 2018 offers a very significant stepping stone into the world of running your own business for young people aged 18 to 35.  It’s not just the scale of the investment fund on offer that makes IBYE so important, IBYE entrants can go on to receive intensive enterprise boot camp training from their LEO under the programme, to help them establish and develop their entrepreneurship careers.”

“Now in its 4th year, IBYE has proven to be a great success in all the regions with more than 1,800 applying across the country last year. I would encourage young people with a business idea or currently running a business to apply for IBYE before the deadline of 29th September 2017.”

Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council Conn Murray said: “Now more than ever before, Local Authorities are connecting with young and aspiring entrepreneurs, through our LEOs.  We are very keen to ensure that anyone with a good idea for a business is given the necessary encouragement and support every step of the way.”

“There is a wealth of innovative thinking among our bright and increasingly confident young population.  It is very important that we harness this resource to encourage enterprise locally.  This will, in turn, create much needed sustainable employment and economic wealth throughout the country.”

With an IBYE investment fund of €50,000, LEO Limerick will award up to six investments to three category winners and three runners-up at county level.

The local winners in the Best Start-Up and Best Established Business categories at the county level will receive investments of up to €15,000 each and the two runners-up will each receive up to €5,000.

The Best Business Idea winner at county level will receive an investment of up to €7,000 and the runner-up will receive up to €3,000 of investment.  These winners will progress to Regional Finals early next year and the national IBYE finals will be held in March 2018.

Previous Limerick winners of Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur include Adrian Fleming Accuvio, Philip Mackessy Mackessy Technologies and Kelly O’ Brien of CDK Technologies.

To enter, local entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 should visit the IBYE website here to submit their applications online.

To read about last year’s winners of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur click here