|
CEOs/ MDs - Are you up for the Challenge?
We are looking for ambitious CEOs and MDs to attend FREE two-hour briefing events to find out about the tools and techniques used in our InterTradeIreland Challenge programme which you can take away and use in your business.
The next and final events take place in Cork and Dublin on 8th May. So be quick and secure your place now.
Register now
At these events, you will be able to see how world-class companies excel in bringing products and services to market quickly and with less risk. These events are FREE and last only a couple of hours! We still have places remaining on our Cork and Dublin briefing sessions so register now!
What is Challenge?
Companies that attend our briefing events will be invited to take part in our Challenge Programme - a rigorous learning and selection process where up to 25 companies each year will receive around £20,000/€23,000 worth of intensive mentoring support and assistance to help deliver seriously ambitious growth.
The methodology used in our programme has been responsible for over £1.5bn of successful products and services across the world but don't take our word for it, listen to what our companies have to say!
'We now have an embedded innovation-focused mind-set, more streamlined thought processes and with this, new capabilities have been uncovered.'
Christina Nangle, eDocs, Dublin
'The programme has helped us to significantly increase our turnover and we recently launched six new products'
Gillian Bonner, Quad-x, Ballymena
In the last 2 years, 22 companies transformed in just 9 months by exploiting a highly profitable route to significant business growth. Now InterTradeIreland is ready to help more do the same.
Interested?
Visit InterTradeIreland's Challenge website for more information about the programme and for details about the next FREE briefing sessions
 | |
30th May 2014 - Closing date for Seedcorn Competition with €280k Total Cash Prize Fund
 |
| Dorothy Creaven, CEO, Element Software, Prof. Vincent O’Flaherty, Chairman, Westway Health and Connor Sweeney, InterTradeIreland. |
|
Calling new start-ups and early stage companies - it is now time to enter this year's Seedcorn Competition. With a total cash prize fund of €280,000 with no equity stake, the competition aims to transform equity raising businesses into first-class investor ready companies.
With a closing date of 30th May - time is running out - so get your application in now!
What’s on offer?
- Chance to win share of €280k cash prize fund
- Get help to develop your business idea through business planning workshops, detailed feedback on business plans and series of investment pitch master classes
- Join the Seedcorn network and boost your company profile and make contact with potential investors
How to enter
Apply online at www.intertradeireland.com/seedcorn
The final date for receipt of initial completed applications is 1pm on Friday 30th May. Initial applications will be shortlisted with successful companies being invited to submit their full business plan.
FREE Seedcorn Workshops
We will be holding a series of free Seedcorn workshops across the country designed to guide those considering entering the competition, including providing advice on how to prepare video clips, presentation slide decks and business plans. Visit www.intertradeireland.com/seedcorn/events to register for our free upcoming Seedcorn workshops in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Derry, Belfast, Athlone, Limerick, Tralee, Ennis and Letterkenny.
How Seedcorn has helped
Last year’s overall ‘Early Stage’ category winner was Galway-based Westway Health. Commenting on the competition Prof. Vincent O’Flaherty, Chairman, Westway Health said;
“Winning the competition has transformed our profile; the publicity we received after winning resulted in us being contacted by potential investors and business partners. When you enter the Seedcorn competition you become part of a network of investors, entrepreneurs, advisors and previous winners which has opened so many doors for us and it is a great resource to tap into. I would recommend any start up looking to learn about the investment process to enter Seedcorn, it is a tough but worthwhile process.”
Find out more
Regional winners will be announced in mid November before going on to compete in the all-island grand final which takes place in Dublin on Wednesday 26th November 2014. Further information about the competition, including video clips explaining how the competition works, eligibility criteria, and hints and tips can be also be found on our Seedcorn website.
You can also follow the competition on Twitter @ITI_Seedcorn or join the Seedcorn Network on LinkedIn where you can get valuable information and advice from experts.
| |
EBAN Congress - European Investors come to Dublin
The 14th EBAN Congress, an event bringing the European business angel community to Dublin will be held in Dublin Castle on the 19th to 20th May and will be attended by up to 350 delegates.
It is Europe’s largest angel event and the second biggest in the world. HBAN, the all-island umbrella group responsible for stimulating angel investment across the island will host the event.
The EBAN Annual Congress is the most significant event in the European business angel calendar. International investors and business angels, including some of the leading “super-angels”, along with venture capital firms and early stage fund managers, will come together to discuss the European business angel landscape, how to support and grow it and most significantly to share their knowledge and experience of investing.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, will open this year’s conference.
The EBAN Congress 2014 is being supported by InterTradeIreland, Enterprise Ireland and Eversheds, all of whom will be attending the conference to discuss insights on the Irish start-up and entrepreneurial market. The Irish Business Innovation Centres (BICs), Invest Northern Ireland and Fáilte Ireland are also supporting this important event for Business Angel investment.
Register now
If you are interested in attending the conference, then please visit www.ebancongress2014.org to register and to find out more about the event.
| |
Oxymem wins All-Island Innovation Awards
 |
| Animal Health Ireland with Thomas Hunter McGowan ITI CEO and Taoiseach Enda Kenny |
|
UCD spinout firm Oxymem has won the overall 'Innovation of the Year' Award at The Irish Times InterTradeIreland Innovation Awards 2014 which was held in Dublin on Wednesday 9th April.
The Athlone based firm has developed breakthrough technology for wastewater aeration. The company took first place in the 'Energy and the Environment' category and went on to compete against five other category winners to win the overall 'Innovation of the Year' award.
The Prize
As overall winner, Oxymem will now receive a communications and advertising package from The Irish Times worth €150,000, along with a UCD scholarship for an Executive Education programme commencing in 2015 and a state of the art laptop.
The Awards Ceremony, Dublin
Oxymem, along with the five other category winners were presented with their awards at an awards ceremony at The Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Wednesday, 9th April which was attended by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD.
The winners of the other five categories, who will each receive a €10,000 Irish Times media deal and an i-Pad, are:
- Agri-Food winner: Richard Keenan & Co
- Bioscience winner : APC Ltd
- Creative Industries winner: Viddyad
- IT & Telecommunications: Shimmer
- Manufacturing: Foldeaze Ltd
Best North/South Collaborative Innovation Award
The ‘Best North/South Collaborative Innovation’ award went to Animal Health Ireland from Leitrim. Animal Health Ireland has developed a unique industry-led national eradication programme for a disease of cattle on the island of Ireland. Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is a recognized cause of significant financial losses in cattle production in Ireland. The BVD eradication programme has already successfully completed one year of testing and when complete will allow farmers to avoid an estimated loss due to this disease of €100 million annually.
For more information
For more information on all the winners or to view all the shortlisted videos, please visit http://www.irishtimes.com/business/innovation/innovation-awards-2014
Congratulations to all!
|
|
| |
|
2014 Innovation Lectures to address 'Open Innovation' theme
 |
| Professor Wim Vanhaverbeke |
|
The InterTradeIreland Innovation Lecture Series kick off again this year with Professor Wim Vanhaverbeke, Professor of Innovation Management & Strategy at the Hasselt University speaking on the subject of 'Open Innovation' at a public lecture and series of master clases in Queens University Belfast on 6th and 7th May.
At the lecture entitled ' Open Innovation fails because companies are not prepared to open up!', Professor Vanhaverbeke will share his insights on the most common management problems when companies start open innovation and explain how SMEs can most effectively use open innovation. Registration is now open.
Open Innovation
Open innovation - sourcing and co-developing innovations with external partners - has received a lot of attention in recent years. Many companies started to experiment with open innovation but for many of them the switch from closed to open innovation has proven to be more difficult than expected. Why do so many firms with a strong reputation in closed innovation fail in implementing open innovation?
Professor Vanhaverbeke was recently recognised by the International Association of Management of Technology (IAMOT) as one of the top 50 authors of technology and innovation management over the last 5 years. Find out more about Professor Vanhaverbeke.
Aii-Island Innovation Programme
The lecture and series of master clases are part of the InterTradeIreland All-Island Innovation Programme, which is delivered in partnership with Queen's University, University College Dublin, NUI Galway and University College Cork. The programme aims to promote and encourage innovation across the island through a series of free innovation lectures and master classes.
Register Now
All are welcome to register to attend and the events are free of charge. Find out more here
This lecture series is aimed at members of the business community, policy makers, public sector workers and anyone with an interest in discovering innovative ways to develop a business in the current economy.
| |
Employ a graduate for 12 months to help boost your cross-border export sales
InterTradeIreland is currently offering SMEs looking to grow their cross-border sales the opportunity to take on a high calibre graduate. Through our Sales and Marketing Programme - Acumen, we will help you recruit a suitable graduate and we will fund up to 50% of the cost of employing that graduate in the first year!
If you are interested, why not find out more about the graduate support option available through our Acumen Programme. - it could be the missing piece you have been looking for!
Cross-Border Business makes sense
We know that one of the biggest challenges for businesses currently is to deal with the decrease in demand in their home market. Exporting is clearly one option which can significantly help increase turnover and enhance business performance. For a first-time exporter, trading in the opposite jurisdiction is the perfect place to begin. It is geographically closer, there are no language barriers and companies can gain valuable experience managing a different currency before moving into more complex European markets. Cross-border trade is valued at €2.5bn so substantial opportunities in the opposite jurisdiction still exist, however many small businesses quite simply just don’t have the time, resources or knowledge about where to start.
This is where a Skilled Graduate can help!
Funding
InterTradeireland will fund up to 50% of the cost of employing a graduate in the first year. - Maximum Salary cost covered can be up to €28,125/£22,500 with InterTradeireland paying up to €14,065/£11,250
- Maximum Travel and Subsistence cost covered can be up to €5,000/£4,000 with InterTradeIreland paying up to €2,500/£2,000
- Maximum Equipment cost covered can be up to €1,250/£1,000 with InterTradeIreland paying up to €625/£500
- InterTradeIreland will cover recruitment and training costs.
Graduate Role
The graduate once in place will help assess the market potential and develop a tailored strategic approach to exporting that can be replicated in any market. InterTradeIreland also provide the graduate with specialised training in sales management skills leading to a Post Graduate Diploma in Sales Management Practice.
After a six month induction period the sales graduate should be capable of becoming the business developer for your business and help you deliver in your target market, essentially becoming a key player in your sales development team.
Contact Us
To find out more visit www.intertradeireland.com/acumen or call Paddy Savage on 028 30834110 (048 from Ireland).
|
|
| |
|
Glantreo Cork demonstrates technical capability with global potential
 |
| John Hogan and John Hanrahan from Glantreo with Sean Sherlock TD and Thomas Hunter McGowan, ITI CEO |
|
Cork Company Glantreo has recently announced its key role in the newly developed, patent-pending, Ecoporous™ silica manufacturing process by US company Supelco. This project was a joint collaborative project involving the technical teams from Glantreo, based in Cork, Ireland and those of Supelco in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.
Dr Paul Ross, of Supelco spoke of the successful partnership and looks forward to further success in the future “The relationship with Glantreo provided an excellent example of how SME companies can support the delivery of exciting and innovative products to the world stage”
Silica Manufacturing Process
This silica manufacturing process was originally conceived within the Chemistry Department, in University College Cork by Prof. Mike Morris and Dr John Hanrahan. Glantreo was given the responsibility to commercialize the technology through the early development phases. Glantreo worked in partnership with US company Supelco to refine, stabilize and scale up the technology to a commercially ready state.
Successful Partnership
Glantreo’s Chief Technical Officer spoke of the exciting project executed with Supelco “It was a truly rewarding opportunity for our Technical Team to work with such an experienced and talented Team of Scientists in Supelco, and to witness the project be realized to a fully Operational state”.
Dr Paul Ross, of Supelco spoke of the successful partnership and looks forward to further success in the future “The relationship with Glantreo provided an excellent example of how SME companies can support the delivery of exciting and innovative products to the world stage”
John Hogan, the Chief Commercial Officer of the company, praised the involvement and support of University College Cork, InterTradeIreland and Enterprise Ireland. “The project has allowed Glantreo to demonstrate its technical capability in developing world class silica manufacturing processes, however, this would not have been possible but for the financial support of Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland, and the collaborative partnership that it has with University College Cork”.
About Glantreo
Glantreo is a dynamic material science company based in Cork, Ireland. The company has a history of developing processes and products for use in the chromatography applications area. Being a small company it relies on partners to embed it’s technology within the partner’s products and thereby incorporating best of breed for end-user customers. This approach gives Glantreo a disproportionate reach for its technologies and products across the globe. For more information please visit http://www.glantreo.com
We wish Glantreo, an InterTradeIreland Business Ambassador, every success with their new partnership! Find out how InterTradeIreland could help your business - Unlock your all-island potential today!
|
|
| |
|
Five useful accounting tips for small businesses
When running a small business, you have to make sure you stay focused on accounting. If you don’t manage debt, receivables, and marketing expenses accurately, your company will sink before it grows.
You can save your company by implementing simple bookkeeping strategies. Here are five accounting tips to help grow your business.
|
|
|
