Press release 14/05/2018
Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2018
The Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2018, hosted by Foróige, Ireland’s leading youth organisation, take place tomorrow, Tuesday 15th May 2018, in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Kildare St., Dublin.
These young people have reached the final having competed against twelve hundred other young entrepreneurs, and won their county and regional finals earlier in the year.
18 innovative start-up businesses, involving over 50 young people, will pitch their businesses to a panel of judges from some of Ireland's leading companies. For the first time this year, in addition to the presentation of the overall ‘Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award’, there will also a ‘Best Innovation Award’, and a ‘Special Recognition Award’.
Seán Campbell, CEO Foróige, said, “these young people have dedicated themselves to their entrepreneurial endeavours over the last year, and I want to commend their hard work and dedication.
“On their journey these young entrepreneurs have developed a wide range of skills needed for designing, launching and running a new business. The international NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship) programme, which Foróige runs in Ireland, is all about targeting young people in difficult or disadvantaged circumstances and empowering them to harness their talents in a positive productive way. It provides them with opportunities, which many due to their circumstances, would not otherwise be able to avail of.”
The companies represent Leitrim, Donegal, Sligo, Laois, Offaly, Dublin, Cork, Tipperary, Waterford and Westmeath.
The finalists for Youth Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 include:
- ASD Sensory – Handmade sensory boards for people with sensory processing disorders
- Rachel’s Heavenly Homemades – Gluten Free Bakery
- Framed with Love – Personalised 3D frames for all occasions
- E-Rings – Bespoke earrings made from common stationary objects
- Tuttlewood – Handcrafted hardwood chopping boards
- Standing Out Crafts–- Handmade beaded felt brooches, chokers and headbands
- Bake & Co. – Freshly baked goods
- Ciara's Frames – Custom made framed images for special occasions
- Funkee Tee’s – Customised Baby Gro’s
The finalists for the Best Innovation Award are:
- Katelyn’s Creations - nutritional healthy snack bars
- Hurley Holders - quality handmade hurley holders
- Mika Beauty – natural skin products for people with dry, sensitive and acne prone skin
- Reading Aid – a wooden frame to help people with dyslexia read
- CycleSafe – a product that creates temporary cycle lanes using lasers
- Gate Mate - Portable Farming Gate to help transfer animals
- WSY (What Suits You) - A product recommendation service
- Barking Munchies - Natural Dog Treats, made from organic oats and other natural ingredients, including special dietary requirements
- Aoifes Lucky Charms - charm like figures that can be attached to keys, phones and used as Christmas tree decorations
Ends
For further information please contact:
Helena Clarke, Foróige Marketing Communications Officer
087 632 5138 / 01 630 1732
About the NFTE Programme
This competition is being run by the Foróige Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).
The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Programme (NFTE) is a cutting edge, world recognised, youth entrepreneurship education and development programme for young people experiencing disadvantage and adversity in their lives. It is managed and provided by Foróige in Ireland and is part of an international programme that first originated in the USA and was brought to Ireland in 2004.
Involvement in the NFTE programme has been shown to improve the business, academic, life skills and aspirations of young people. Foróige NFTE is committed to changing the lives of young people in disadvantaged communities by enabling them to develop core skills in business and enterprise, and in doing so help them to unlock their individual talents and potential.
The Foróige NFTE programme is made possible through the valued support of;
Dormant Accounts Funding through the Department of Education and Skills basis.point - an initiative of the Irish Funds Industry
Community Foundation for Ireland
Laois Offaly ETB
About Foróige
Foróige is the leading youth organisation in Ireland. The charity works with over 50,000 young people and 5,500 adult volunteers annually, through a network of more than 650 youth clubs & cafés, 160 targeted projects and national programmes such as Entrepreneurship (NFTE), Health & Wellbeing, Citizenship and Entrepreneurship.
Foroige.ie
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