How to Enter

Student Entrepreneur Awards

Help your students to take the first step to business success

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.

How Enterprise Ireland can help you promote the Student Entrepreneur Awards

We can:

Deliver an online presentation to your college to outline the benefits of participating in the competition.
Provide promotional materials including posters, flyers and social media assets.
Provide €500 to support presentations or mini competitions organized by the college to prepare students to enter the Student Entrepreneur Award

To access our support services please email studentawards@enterprise-ireland.com

Get Started

How to Enter

Discover the Path: Access the complete guide on entering and succeeding – Explore our Brochure here.

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.

What the judges are looking for

Is there a market for the product or service / has it got commercial potential?
What is the unique selling point?
Has the team developed a proof of concept for their product or service?
Have the students tested their product or service with real users in their target market?
Does the team have an understanding of key financials?

Please find the Judging Criteria document here.

Key Dates

5pm, Friday 15th March 2024

Closing Date for two minute video submission

Friday 5th April 2024

Top 50 call backs requested to submit business plans.

Friday 10th May 2024

Deadline for Top 50 Business Plans

Friday 24th May 2024

Top 10 finalists announced.

Thursday 6th June 2024

Students exhibit and present to the judges at UCC

Friday 7th June 2024

Winner announced and closing ceremony at UCC, Cork

Get Started

How to Enter

Discover the Path: Access the complete guide on entering and succeeding – Explore our Brochure here.

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.

Timeline

Please check out the competition timeline below

January - 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