Finalists battle it out in New Frontiers competition

One of the hopefuls Adrienne McArdle of Smart Innovation Products Ltd has developed and is commercialising a patentable manifold system called Heat Hero

On Thursday next eight entrepreneurs will go head-to-head in the final of the New Frontiers Programme Pitch Competition.

Over the past 12 months each finalist has set out to create and grow their own business, giving up full-time jobs in the process, to follow their dreams.

They've received a lot of support along the way from Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Offices, the Regional Development Centre (RDC) in DkIT and from Invent DCU.

But now, it all comes down to a 5-minute pitch and the chance to pick up the €15,000 prize sponsored by AIB, PKF-FPM, the RDC, Everian IT and the Dundalk Argus.

To reach the final, they've already beaten off the challenge from 45 other start-ups from all over the North East region.

Competition is fundamental in business. It's what entrepreneurs live for. The cut and thrust of business means getting one over the competition this time, perhaps losing out the next.

It's the uncertainty of it all that makes it so interesting.

For these eight entrepreneurs, the competition has just gotten a lot hotter.

New Frontiers is Ireland's national entrepreneur development programme, delivered at local level by institutes of technology and funded by Enterprise Ireland.

If you have an innovative business idea and are planning to establish and run your own company, the New Frontiers Programme can provide you with help and support to accelerate your business development and to equip you with the skills and contacts that you need to successfully start and grow your company.

Launched in February 2012, the programme's primary purpose is to accelerate the development of sustainable new businesses that have strong employment and growth potential and contribute to job creation and economic activity in regional locations.