One week to go to apply to Social Entrepreneurs Ireland for funding and support– another 5k up for grabs for bright ideas to change Ireland
8 winning social entrepreneurs will receive initial €300,000 in funding and support with potential for further investment and development opportunities
15 people with early-stage ideas will win a place at the Academy for Social Entrepreneurs PLUS the chance to pitch for up to €5,000
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS IRELAND has reissued the call for ambitious individuals with ideas to tackle social problems, to apply to the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards 2017, supported by DCC plc at socialentrepreneurs.ie as the application deadline of March 29th approaches.
With just one week left to apply to the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards and Academy programmes, the organisation has announced that additional funds have been added to this year’s competition pot for aspiring social entrepreneurs with ideas to solve social problems in Ireland.
Speaking of the interest in this year’s competition, Darren Ryan, CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland said,
“This year we are offering more places on our programmes than ever before, so there’s a great chance of winning a place on the Academy or Awards if you want to be part of this network of inspiring social entrepreneurs. We’re delighted to see the applications coming through from all across the country.”
Social Entrepreneurs Ireland supports social entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, from start-up to scale-up. The Awards offers 300,000 euro in initial funding and support to 8 social entrepreneurs who have an existing project that they are ready to take to the next level.
Those with early-stage ideas for social change can apply to the Academy for Social Entrepreneurs, a new offering by the organisation, with each place valued at 3,000 euro. Social Entrepreneurs Ireland today announced that the fifteen winners in the Academy category will now also have a chance to pitch for up to 5,000 euro in funding to get their idea off the ground, as well as receiving a place on the Academy programme.
So, with just days to go to apply for this funding and support, “Don’t let a good idea go to waste!” is the call from the organisation, encouraging people to apply before the March 29th deadline. Previous award winners include Iseult Ward and Aoibheann O’Brien with the idea for FoodCloud, John Evoy with the idea for the Irish Men’s Sheds Association and Adam Harris with the idea for AsIAm, with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland acting as first backer for many of these hugely successful initiatives.
According to Darren Ryan, there has also been increased interest from financial supporters, adding to the existing funds available for the winners of this round. Social Entrepreneurs Ireland continues to build its fund to support social entrepreneurs and there are ongoing opportunities for interested funders to support the winning social entrepreneurs who are tackling social problems.
“We’ve seen how the support from the commercial business sector can assist social entrepreneurs in making a huge impact across Irish society, and we rely on this support to make this change happen” says Darren Ryan, CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland.
DCC plc, the international sales, marketing and support services group, is the flagship supporter of the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards. Speaking of the partnership with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, CEO of DCC plc Tommy Breen said,
“We strongly believe in the work of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. It is a great privilege to play a role in assisting Ireland’s brightest and most ambitious entrepreneurs who are dedicated to making a positive impact on our society.”
Applications to the Awards programme and the Academy close at 5pm on March 29th. Interested candidates can apply or find out more at www.socialentrepreneurs.ie.
NOTES:
Each of the eight winning social entrepreneurs in the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards category will receive 25,000 euro in funding and support. They will receive 10,000 euro initial unrestricted funding and will join an accelerator programme worth 15,000 euro, with access to over 150 pro-bono supporters, coaches and mentors. The programme will explore options for further funding and support from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, which historically ranges from 20,000 to 300,000 euro in value.
About Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI) is an Irish not-for-profit organisation that supports people with new solutions to Ireland’s biggest social problems. SEI helps these individuals to increase their impact by providing significant funding alongside in-depth technical and practical supports. Over the last 12 years Social Entrepreneurs Ireland has supported 204 social entrepreneurs, and this year’s funding will bring the total support to over €6.7 million in their projects, in addition to providing significant additional supports. These projects have in turn directly impacted 520,000 people all over Ireland, creating over 1,230 employment opportunities in the process. For more information please see www.socialentrepreneurs.ie
About DCC plc
DCC plc is an international sales, marketing, distribution and business support services group headquartered in Dublin with operations in Britain, Continental Europe and Ireland. DCC has four divisions – DCC Energy, DCC Healthcare, DCC Technology and DCC Environmental. In its last financial year ended 31 March 2016, DCC generated revenue of £10.6 billion and operating profit from continuing activities of £300 million and currently employs approximately 10,500 people in 15 countries. DCC’s shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and are included in the FTSE 100 Index.
For more information please see www.dcc.ie
