Are you a third level student with an innovative business idea with real commercial value? The Student Entrepreneur Awards could help you realise your entrepreneurial ambitions.
Reasons to Compete
Opportunity to
become an entrepreneur
become an entrepreneur
Students can create the
businesses they want to
work in with unique
support from the Student
Entrepreneur Awards.
businesses they want to
work in with unique
support from the Student
Entrepreneur Awards.
Helps students
stand out
stand out
Taking part in this prestigious
award demonstrates the
commitment to innovation
employers and investors seek.
award demonstrates the
commitment to innovation
employers and investors seek.
Cash to fund your
start-up business
start-up business
€35,000 in cash prizes
with the overall winner
receiving €10,000.
with the overall winner
receiving €10,000.
Expert advice
and mentoring
and mentoring
Support, advice
and mentoring.
and mentoring.
Awards
Overall Winner
€10,000
Cash

Cruickshank High Achieving Merit Award
€5,000
Cash

Grant Thornton High Achieving Merit Award
€5,000
Cash

Local Enterprise Office ICT Award
€5,000
Cash

Enterprise Ireland Merit Awards Fund
6 runner-up awards of €1,500
1 academic award of €1,000 €10,000
How to Enter
Stage 1
Students create a two minute video that showcases their great ideas, highlighting commercial and export potential. The videos are submitted via an online entry form.
Stage 2
The top 50 entries are shortlisted and asked to submit a business plan.
Stage 3
Ten projects go forward to the final where they present their ideas to the judging panel. This session concludes with the Student Entrepreneur Awards ceremony.
Who can participate
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.
Read More - see page 4 of Brochure
TimeLine
Nov - March
Call for video applications
March - April
Competition closes and entries evaluated
April
Top 50 submit a business plan
May
Top 10 finalists announced
June
Awards and winners announced
2023 Winners
2022 Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur of the Year FenuHealth

2022 Award Winner Recapture One

2022 Award Winner Rollagen

2022 Award Winner NutrixBix by Goodness Oats

FAQs
Want to learn more about the Student Entrepreneur Awards?
We've put together a list of answers to the questions we get asked the most.