Entrepreneurs in the Mid West are invited to apply for Development Programme and Support Package valued at €45,000

• The New Frontier programme based at the Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre, LIT provides practical support at a time of huge opportunities for new innovation and entrepreneurship.
• To date entrepreneurs on the New Frontiers programme have helped create more than 300 direct jobs, with two companies also creating an estimated 500 part-time jobs.
• Closing date for applications to the 2020/2021 New Frontier Programme, run by LIT and Enterprise Ireland, is August 12, 2020.

Entrepreneurs in the Mid West are being invited to apply to the New Frontiers Programme which includes a support package valued at €45,000, and is designed to provide key entrepreneur and innovation skills at a crucial time in the global economy.

New Frontiers, the leading national entrepreneur development programme run by LIT and Enterprise Ireland at the Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre, is accepting app

2019 NFP2 & LIT Team Startup & Innov.jpg: The New Frontiers Class of 2020 with members of LIT and EI taken at the Hartnett Centre late last year – and prior to social distancing guidelines.

lications ahead of the August 12 deadline.

The six month intensive New Frontiers programme provides practical support to entrepreneurs, especially now during unprecedented global change due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and at a time when momentum and development of new innovation and entrepreneurship is considered crucial to the world’s economy.

HEAC – 2019/2020 New Frontiers Class.jpg: Participants of the 2019/2020 New Frontiers Programme at the Hartnett Centre.

The LIT Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre has a wealth of experience in supporting entrepreneurship and has supported approximately 100 ventures through New Frontiers since its launch in 2012.

To date the entrepreneurs on the New Frontiers programme have helped create more than 300 direct jobs, with two companies also creating an estimated 500 part-time jobs. Entrepreneurs supported by LIT at its enterprise centres (Hartnett, TCEC Thurles and Questum, Clonmel) have raised more than €70 million to date in investment, while other companies have been sold, including one company for tens of millions of euros.

Each Entrepreneur who successfully applies for the New Frontier Programme has access to a development package valued at €45,000, which includes a €15,000 tax-free stipend as well as web hosting and support from Amazon worth up to $15,000.

The programme also allows for unrivalled access to a network of mentors, entrepreneurs in residence, alumni, investors and corporate partners, and the knowledge base of LIT, its collaborators at UL Nexus, its network of HEIs in Ireland and its international partners as part of RUN-EU (Regional University Network – European Union).

Dr Liam Brown, Vice President Research, Development & Innovation, LIT said, “The New Frontiers programme focuses on developing core entrepreneur skills, an innovators toolkit and opening global networks for promising entrepreneurs who have ideas with international potential.”

Gillian Barry, Head of Innovation & Enterprise, LIT emphasised that while there are many challenges in the world today, times of crisis provide huge opportunities for new innovation and entrepreneurship.

“In times of crisis we often see immense advances in innovation. During WW2 we saw the first computer developed, the aftermath of the last financial crisis we saw an huge leap in Fintech and now in this current global crisis we are seeing an increase in innovation and entrepreneurship across just about every sector including health, manufacturing, transport, tourism, privacy, education and entertainment underpinned by advancement in science and technology. Opportunities that businesses might have expected to have years to prepare for are here, now. To meet these challenges, entrepreneurs will need to innovate, invent, and gain momentum faster than ever,” she said.

Mary Casey, New Frontiers Programme Manager added, “We are living in an unprecedented time, New Frontiers will help entrepreneurs gain the momentum they need as we head into a fast-changing future. We are welcoming applications for our New Frontiers programme now at www.HartnettCentre.ie/NewFrontiers.”

The New Frontiers Programme is a six months intense course and includes:

• Support package valued at 30,000 including a €15,000 tax-free stipend subject to satisfactory performance with no equity taken in your business
• Support & Guidance in developing a strong business plan
• Practitioner-led workshops covering all aspects of building a successful start-up
• 5 x one-to-one mentoring sessions with seasoned mentors from the Enterprise Ireland mentor panel
• Free co-working space & other incubation facilities for 6-Months
• Access to expertise within the Institute of Technology, i.e. research centres, graduates, etc.
• Web hosting and support from Amazon worth $15,000

Application Process:

The call is competitive, and application forms are available online at http://www.hartnettcentre.ie/NewFrontiersPhase2.php.

Due to the volume of applications short-listing will take place. For those short-listed interviews are scheduled to take place Wednesday September 2, & Thursday September 3, 2020.

Closing Date for receipt of online application forms is Wednesday, August 12, 2020 at 12:00 noon.