Are You Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur?
26th September 2016
Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) is an initiative of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland, and is run by the 31 LEOs across the country.
Each LEO has an investment fund of up to €50,000 to award to young entrepreneurs across three categories locally – Best Business Idea, Best Start-Up Business and Best Established Business.
Meeting Minister Mitchell O’Connor were four previous IBYE award winners with dynamic businesses from the worlds of technology, food, waste management and retail: James Keogh, Wicklow, from Rathwood Home & Garden World Ltd.; Isolde Johnson*, Dublin City, from The Cool Bean Company; Niall Mimnagh, Longford, from Mimergy; and Rhona Togher* (pictured), Sligo, from Restored Hearing Ltd.
They have all won IBYE awards over the last two years to include investment funding, business bootcamp places and one-to-one mentoring sessions. As well as the financial elements of IBYE, they stressed the importance of learning from each other at the IBYE bootcamps, and the invaluable advice and assistance at the one-to-one mentoring sessions.
Sheelagh Daly of the Local Enterprise Offices said: “The €50,000 per county investment fund on offer from each of the 31 Local Enterprise Offices is a major part of the competition, with up to six local businesses winning significant investment prizes in every local authority area. In addition, up to 450 young entrepreneurs from around the country will also win places at regional Business Bootcamps, with access to expert guidance and mentoring for their business ideas and new ventures.”
Apply on www.ibye.ie by the 14th October deadline.
