FEATURE ARTICLE
Enterprise Ireland and Network Ireland launch nationwide Fuelling Ambition ‘Steps to Success’ Roadshow for female entrepreneurs
The aim of the roadshow is to encourage, support and drive the ambition of female entrepreneurs nationally by showcasing the ‘Steps to Success’ of thriving Irish businesswomen and entrepreneurs who are either Enterprise Ireland or LEO client companies.

Enterprise Ireland and Network Ireland launch nationwide Fuelling Ambition ‘Steps to Success’ Roadshow for female entrepreneurs

 

Elevator Pitch Competition with prize package worth €4000 at each event

 

Enterprise Ireland and Network Ireland, in conjunction with the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) and the Entrepreneurs Academy, is announcing the 2nd nationwide Fuelling Ambition “Steps to Success” roadshow targeting existing and potential female entrepreneurs.     

 

The aim of the roadshow is to encourage, support and drive the ambition of female entrepreneurs nationally by showcasing the ‘Steps to Success’ of thriving Irish businesswomen and entrepreneurs who are either Enterprise Ireland or LEO client companies.

 

The roadshow will visit Wicklow (5 April), Kilkenny (6 April), Portlaoise (25 April), Castlebar (26 April), Sligo (11 May), Bunratty (14 June) and Cavan (28 June).

 

Building on the successful ‘Fuelling Ambition’ initiative introduced in 2016, this year’s roadshow will feature an Elevator Pitch competition with a prize package worth €4,000 at each location including:

 

  • 10 sessions with Enterprise Ireland Mentors and attendance at Enterprise Ireland’s Excel at Export Selling training programme
  • Annual membership of Network Ireland
  • Leadership training programme with the Entrepreneurs Academy, a national entrepreneur development organisation that has trained and supported 30,000 start-ups and small businesses

 

Participants at the roadshow will hear from relevant keynote speakers and successful female entrepreneurs who will share their experiences and insights on the road to business success. Representatives from Enterprise Ireland, the LEOs and Network Ireland will be on hand to discuss the wide range of supports available to female entrepreneurs and those thinking of starting their own businesses. The events will also provide an opportunity to network with like-minded entrepreneurs and business people.

 

Launching the roadshows, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD said: “The objective of these roadshows is to encourage and develop female entrepreneurship regionally. These roadshows will provide insights into the ‘steps to success’ taken by successful business women and entrepreneurs right across the country. I urge every woman, be she an existing business woman, or one thinking of starting her own business, to come along to these events. It could be the first step to success for some, and the next steps to success for others. Each event will be informative, interesting and packed with encouragement and ambition.”

 

Julie Sinnamon, CEO Enterprise Ireland, said: “A key focus for Enterprise Ireland is supporting companies to start, innovate and scale by realising their growth potential and global ambition. Female entrepreneurship in Ireland is currently at 20% - up from just 7% six years ago. This upward trend is very encouraging, but we want to see more women starting their own businesses and more women successfully scaling their existing businesses. We are delighted to be working with Network Ireland, the Local Enterprise Offices and the Entrepreneurs Academy to connect with and encourage as many existing and potential female entrepreneurs as possible.”

President of Network Ireland, Rebecca Harrison said: “Network Ireland is the leading networking organisation for professional women in Ireland and we are delighted to bring the ‘Fuelling Ambition – Steps to Success’ roadshow to women across Ireland. The event aims to further encourage, support and drive the ambition of female entrepreneurs nationally and locally. Inspirational business women and entrepreneurs will share their ‘steps to success’ with hundreds of existing and potential female entrepreneurs over the next three months. An exciting addition to this year’s event is the Elevator Pitch competitions which are open to all attendees. An exciting prize package worth €4,000 at each event will help fast-track the seven regional winners through the steps to success.” 

 

The roadshows are free of charge to existing and potential entrepreneurs and business women. To avoid disappointment, booking is strongly advised. Full details and booking information are available on www.enterprise-ireland.com/ambitiouswomen; www.networkireland.ie and www.localenterprise.ie/

 

Photos will be syndicated by Fennell Photography and are available on request.

 

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Go Global 4 Growth

 


Enterprise Ireland has launched a new management development programme for established SMEs, Go Global 4 Growth, delivered in partnership with Dublin City University Business School.

 

Go Global 4 Growth is targeted at ambitious SME top teams from all sectors, committed to adapting and evolving their business functions to prepare for global growth.

All programme details can be accessed via our website www.enterprise-ireland.com/goglobal including programme brochure, promotional videos, testimonials and the online application form. The application process closes on Friday 31st March and the first programme launches on 10th May in DCU.  Further programmes will launch in late 2017 and early 2018.

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Four Enterprise Ireland clients and one client of Údarás na Gaeltachta have secured €10M from the European Union’s scientific research fund to help them get their big ideas to market:

  • DP DesignPro Ltd of Abbeyfeale Co. Limerick was awarded €1.93M to develop new, affordable and reliable HydroKinetic turbines that can exploit the huge potential of clean, predictable energy in the world’s rivers, canals and estuaries (project name: DP Renewables).
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  • Axonista Ltd of Dublin secured €1.7M to work on a smart video app for smart devices (project name: Ediflo Pro).
  • Slainte Beoga Teor of Galway and a client of Udaras na Gaeltachta, won €2.5M to develop a non-antibiotic antimicrobial treatment for Bovine Mastitis (project name: PanaMast).
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Dr. Imelda Lambkin, Enterprise Ireland and National Director of Horizon 2020 in Ireland congratulated the five Irish SMEs on their EU grants of up to 2.5 million each from the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 2 funding saying “This is a significant milestone in Ireland’s performance in Horizon 2020 and brings the total number of Irish SMEs to win funding from phase 2 of the SME Instrument to 26 since its launch in 2014. The funding is for innovative small firms to get ideas from the lab to the market and help generate growth and jobs in Europe. Enterprise Ireland, working closely with our partners in Ireland’s national support network for Horizon 2020 are encouraging more Irish SMEs to apply to the SME Instrument using the support and advice we provide”.

Each of the projects will receive up to €2.5 million to finance innovation activities. Thanks to the funding, the selected SMEs can finance innovation activities like demonstration, testing, piloting, scaling up and miniaturisation, in addition to developing a mature business plan for their product. The companies involved in the projects will also benefit from 12 days of business coaching.

Further information

Funding under Phase 2 of the instrument allows companies to invest in innovation activities such as demonstration, testing, piloting, scaling up and miniaturisation, in addition to developing a mature business plan for their product. The companies will also benefit from 12 days of business coaching. Most projects are proposed by a single SME but some companies team-up to elaborate a project.

The next cut-off for SME Instrument Phase 2 is on 6 April 2017.

More information:

www.horizon2020.ie



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