By Business & Finance 
Young entrepreneurs from all counties in Ireland have received a total of €1.5m in investment funding through their involvement in Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) competition.
A total of 180 talented entrepreneurs across every county in Ireland, aged between 18 and 35, have been awarded the funding through the Local Enterprise Offices after winning, or becoming runners up, in IBYE County Finals. The competition now moves to Regional Final stage, involving 91 category winners.
This initiative for young entrepreneurs is run by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) nationwide, and supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland.
The investment awards will be used by the young entrepreneurs to help fund business start-ups, create new jobs locally and help develop new products for international markets.
This year saw a 32% rise in entries to IBYE nationally, with 1,842 entrepreneurs competing in three different categories.
As part of the supports on offer through the competition, more than 400 young entrepreneurs benefited from boot-camp training sessions in which they were put through their paces in every aspect of how to start and develop a business.
Sheelagh Daly of the Local Enterprise Offices commented: “The LEOs see the IBYE initiative as an important springboard for young entrepreneurs who want to start or expand a business. The 180 young entrepreneurs who have shared in the €1.5 million investment funding can now make their business ideas and expansion plans a reality in 2017 and beyond. IBYE is also about nurturing our younger entrepreneurs through boot-camps, training, networking and mentoring, with job creation benefits for every county.”
Up to 24 entrepreneurs (three from each region – one in each category) will be selected at eight IBYE Regional Finals over the next few weeks to compete for the national title of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur in March.
