4th June 2008

STUDENTS FROM University of Ulster SCOOP Enterprise Ireland

- ‘COLLEGE ENTREPRENEURS OF THE YEAR 2008’!

 ’Uberfeet’ Scoops  €10,000 Top Prize plus Coveted Mentoring programme at The 2008 Enterprise Ireland  Student Enterprise Awards,!

Sponsors Enterprise Ireland, Cruickshank Intellectual Property Attorneys and Invest NI are delighted to announce that students from University of Ulster have today been awarded the prestigious top prize at the 2008 Student Enterprise Awards, Ireland’s biggest third level business awards, at a ceremony in CIT, Cork.

Students Aisling O’Neill, Lisa Donnell, Amanda Nesbitt and Ciara Jordan of team ’Uberfeet’ from University of Ulster beat off stiff competition from hundreds of third level students across Ireland with their business proposal ‘Uberfeet’ scooping the coveted €10,000 top prize and title of ‘College Entrepreneurs of The Year’.

The 2008 Student Enterprise Awards are Ireland’s largest and most prestigious third-level student enterprise competition, boasting an unrivalled prize fund of €65,000. 2008 marks the 25th anniversary of the Enterprise Ireland Student Enterprise Awards. The awards offer third level student teams from the Island of Ireland, the chance to realise their entrepreneurial ambitions.

Speaking about the significance of the awards Mr. Brendan Flood, Manager, Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Enterprise Ireland said:

“The Enterprise Ireland Student Enterprise Awards play a vital role in promoting and harnessing the research, innovation and entrepreneurial capability within our third level institutions. The Awards create an important opportunity for third level students to work in cross-disciplinary teams, thereby enabling a significant and much needed fusion between the disciplines of Business, Science, Engineering and I.T.

“The success and long term strength of Ireland’s economy is strongly reliant on the establishment and growth of Irish-owned companies with the potential to become thriving international businesses. It is therefore essential the Irish third level students view and experience entrepreneurship as a valuable and rewarding future career. Furthermore it is important that they are aware of the very significant strategic and financial supports available to them from both ourselves at Enterprise Ireland and the City and County Enterprise Boards.”

Commenting after the awards announcement, Graham Davis, Invest NI’s Director of Regional Economic Development, said: “The high standard of candidates at this years Student Enterprise Awards is testimony to the wealth of innovative and commercial talent that exists amongst our students. Invest NI is committed to nurturing this talent by giving young entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop their creative business ideas into highly competitive export focused businesses. By encouraging a greater culture of enterprise amongst our young people, we can help secure a more prosperous economy in the future.”

In celebration of the Enterprise Ireland Student Enterprise Awards landmark year, Cruickshank Intellectual Property Attorneys have added the prize of a consultancy service to the value of up to €20,000 for all the winners to aid the students to patent and protect the intellectual property arising from their projects.

Speaking at the Awards Donal O’Connor, Senior Partner, Cruickshank Intellectual Property Attorneys said:

"Cruickshank are delighted to be co-sponsor of Enterprise Ireland Student Enterprise Awards, in its 25th year. We believe it is vital to encourage our students to explore entrepreneurship as a viable career option, as these students present today represent the future of our economy. It's crucial that we as a country recognise the importance of innovation and intellectual property. It is for this reason that we are offering the winning team ‘Uberfeet’ a mentorship programme, through which we hope to demonstrate how, with the right support, a strong business idea can become a marketable reality”.

Every year the Enterprise Ireland Student Enterprise Awards’ sponsors recruit a well known face from the business world to act as Awards Ambassador, and for this landmark year they chose a home grown success story.

Irish Entrepreneur Jay Bourke, Co-Founder of Sherland Entertainment is the entrepreneurial expert on the 2008 judging panel. The competition finalists were put through their paces over the past few days and were given the opportunity to impress Jay with their own business acumen. Co-presenter of ‘The Mentor’ on RTE, Jay has been the guiding force behind some of Ireland’s best known bars and restaurants, including the successful Café Bar Deli chain.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Jay said: “I am honoured to be in CIT as the Enterprise Ireland Student Enterprise Awards Ambassador for this, the 25th year of the awards. It is great to see the quality of work that is being produced by our third level institutions and the relevant products that this year’s finalists have produced. I believe that competitions such as this play such an important role in motivating third level students to realise their potential and develop their business skills”.

-ENDS-

For further information on the 2008 Student Enterprise Awards please contact:

Marc Kelly / Abigail Gaskin,

McConnells Fusion

Direct: 01-476 4342 / 01-4764345

Mobile: 085 714 5542 / 086-8269339

Email: marc.kelly@mcconnells.ie / abigail.gaskin@mcconnells.ie

or

Sarah O'callaghan, Press Officer, Enterprise Ireland tel: (01) 8082755 mobile: 087-1253221