Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is looking for a business to represent our County at the National Enterprise Awards Finals which will take place on 26th May 2016.

The Awards – organised by the National network of Local Enterprise Offices – celebrate the achievements of Ireland’s micro-enterprise sector. The awards recognise and celebrate the success stories of small business owners from all over the country.In addition to enjoying extensive media coverage, National Finalists will compete for a €20,000 Prize Fund on this date.

The winner of the 2015 National Enterprise Awards was Kilkenny-based MyBio. Past winners down through the years have included Irish Yogurts from West Cork, Hot Irishman Irish Coffee from Carlow and Grouse Recording Studios from Westmeath. See List Winners from the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown 2015 County Finals.

STAGE 1:   The Local Competition: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Final
Prize Fund of €10,000. Appy by 4pm, Wednesday, 10th February.          

Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown will host a County Final which will take place on Tuesday, 8th March 2016 in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire as part of our Enterprise Week 2016 activities. Six county finalists will compete for a prize fund of €10,000 and the overall winner will represent the county at the National Finals.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applications will only be accepted from businesses which employ no more than 10 employees
• All applicants must be current clients of LEO DLR (i.e must have received at least one of LEO DLR’s supports).
• LEO DLR clients who have transferred to Enterprise Ireland within the last 12 months are also eligible & Previous County finalists are eligible to enter

Selection Process:

• All completed entries received from eligible businesses by the submission deadline will be reviewed; 12 entrants will then be invited to interview which will take place on Wednesday, 17th February in Dún Laoghaire. Following these interviews, six finalist businesses will be selected to be compete for the County final prize fund of €10,000. We will arrange for a short promotional video of each finalist to be shot duting the week beginning 22nd February prior to the staging of the awards ceremony on Tuesday, 8th March.

How to Enter the National Enterprise Awards

To enter you must complete the NEA 2016 Application Form (All submissions should be in typed format.)

Application forms are to be returned, together with a current Business Plan and Financial Statements for the most recent accounting period by email to contact@leo.dlrcoco.ie (please send signed copy) or by post to:

Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
County Hall
Marine Road
Dún Laoghaire
Co. Dublin

The deadline for receipt of applications is 4pm on Wednesday, 10th February 2016.
Please contact Aimee O’Brien on (01) 204 7083 / aimeeobrien@dlrcoco.ie with any queries.
We look forward to receiving your entry!