business-startup.ie

The third Bizcamp Dublin takes place this coming Saturday (May 29, 2010) when up to 500 entrepreneurs will gather in the Guinness Storehouse for a day of networking, learning and sharing. Sponsored by Microsoft, Mason, Hayes + Curran, IBM, and Enterprise Ireland, Bizcamp Dublin is the largest event of its kind in Ireland - where those registered to attend the one-day conference also register to be its keynote speakers. Attendees will spend the day attending ‘lectures’ given by their peers on starting, managing and promoting a business. Registration fee for the event is just €5 because there really is no such thing as a free lunch!

Six inspiring individuals from varying areas of society working to drive social change have been nominated as finalists in this year’s Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards Programme.  The finalists include Frances Black, The RISE Foundation supporting families with loved ones in addiction; Carmel Dunne, Ceol providing music opportunities through education and performance for teachers of young children; Dara Hogan, Fledglings Early Years Education promoting early years education and care for disadvantaged communities; Michael Kelly, GIY (Grow it Yourself) creating and connecting a network of food growers across Ireland; John Lawlor, Bridge to College bridging educational divides and inspiring young people to learn; and Paul Mooney, Jobcare providing real opportunities for ex-offenders to forge a new path for themselves in life.

Wicklow County Enterprise Awards 2010 is open to small businesses in the Wicklow region that employ 10 people or less. Wicklow County Enterprise Board promotes the development of enterprise in County Wicklow by focusing on the creation of enterprise awareness, encouraging new businesses to start up and supporting existing businesses to grow.

InterTradeIreland has announced it will invest up to €175,000 in five North/South company-to-company research and development partnerships through its Innova programme.  Companies with innovative ideas, which have strong commercial potential and an R&D partner in place, are encouraged to apply for the funding by Friday 4th June 2010.

Sixteen new high-tech and knowledge-intensive business ventures, involving 34 individuals, have joined NovaUCD’s 2010 entrepreneurship programme. The NovaUCD 2010 Campus Company Development Programme (CCDP), which has just commenced, assists academic and research entrepreneurs at University College Dublin in bringing their innovative ideas from intellectual concepts to fully developed and sound commercial businesses. NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre, is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research programmes.

The public were given a sneak preview of the ‘Irish entrepreneurs of tomorrow’ at the Country’s biggest student enterprise competition, held earlier today in Croke Park. Teenagers from every county, aged from thirteen to eighteen, competed at the Student Enterprise Awards National Final at the GAA headquarters, which was organised by the County and City Enterprise Boards. Students from Presentation College in Carlow won the Senior Category Award for ‘Rap-It’, a keyring device to keep ear-phones untangled.