All-island Ireland Seedcorn competition for startups

by Startacus Admin

Are you an Irish Startup looking for a prize? Yep, thought that would get your attention. Now that we’ve got your interest - do read on - it could be well worth your while!

Those good folk over at InterTradeIreland have just (in the last few days) launched this year's all-island Ireland Seedcorn competition for startups and early stage startups.

Big bucks of a prize fund worth €280,000 will be divided up between 9 winning start-ups with one overall early stage winner getting €100,000, the new start company winner receiving €50,000, six regional winners awarded €20,000 each, and a €10k award will be given to a company that is a university spin-out.

Working on the basis that they want to award the companies that potential real life investors and financiers would in reality want to back, the contest aims to mirror the application process that a real-life investment process would mean for a startup.

The biggest deal for any successful awardee is that InterTradeIreland take no equity stake in the winning start-ups they reward. Happy days!

This year’s competition sees a couple of changes - firstly two new categories have been introduced - 'New Start' and 'Early Stage' and also companies can submit a short video clip or slide deck presentation as part of the initial application process.

Entrants will be provided with independent feedback at every stage of the competition to help improve their investor-readiness and a selection panel will shortlist initial applications, and successful applicants will then submit their full business plans.

Regional Winners (Dublin City & County, Munster, Connacht & Leinster - including counties Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan and Northern Ireland) will be announced in November, before they then head off for the all-island final later that very month.

The closing date for this year's competition is 28th June, so whilst that might seem like you’ve got lots of time before you enter, remember that this competition is a pretty big deal, so why not use that ‘lots of time’ to get your application right! Right? First off - here's the Seedcorn link. 

If you’re entering, Good luck / Ádh mór ort!

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Published on: 1st May 2013