Last chance for Laois Enterprises to enter €150,000 innovation competition
Six prizes worth €10,000 – Top prize worth €150,000
Laois Enterprises big and small must act quickly to be in with a chance of a top prize worth €150,000 in The Irish Times InterTradeIreland Innovation Awards. The closing date for applications is 5.00pm, December 2nd and innovators are reminded that all they need is a good idea and suitable business model. Entries are encouraged from all sectors: Agri-Food, Bioscience, Energy & the Environment, Manufacturing, Creative Industries and IT & Telecommunications. Each winner gets a prize worth €10,000 with the overall winner scooping the €150,000 grand prize.
Michael McAleer, Innovation editor at The Irish Times said the awards have opened doors for many previous winners.
“Winning an award promotes brand awareness, which helps market penetration. It can also get you recognition from State agencies, which can really help with things like product development, marketing and market development. For smaller companies in particular, the recognition gives them great confidence. It tells them there is real potential in their business because they are getting endorsement from expert judges,” he said.
The Irish Times InterTradeIreland awards showcase excellence in innovation, across a range of ground-breaking products and services. Each category winner will receive a €10,000 communications package in The Irish Times Business+Innovationsupplement and an iPad with an annual subscription to The Irish Times ePaper. Previous finalists have included family businesses, small-scale employers, public services and multi-nationals.
Aidan Gough, Strategy and Policy Director at InterTradeIreland, said, “I would encourage anyone who thinks they have a business or service with an element that’s new, better or different to apply.
“The Innovation Awards have helped bring companies to the next level. Many of our previous winners have testified to the profile generated from the awards in helping them scale their business” Mr Gough added.
The winners will then be in the running to win the overall Innovation of the Year title and receive a communications package, worth in excess of €150,000, comprising of advertising promotion across The Irish Times Business+Innovation supplement. UCD Smurfit School will provide the overall winner with a scholarship for an Executive Education programme commencing in 2015 and they will receive a state of the art laptop with a one year subscription to The Irish Times ePaper. There is also a special recognition award given to the company with the best North/South collaboration project.
For more information, log on to www.irishtimes.com/