Start-Ups and Entrepreneurs in County Wexford invited to apply for Competitive fund

Early-stage entrepreneurs can now apply for two Enterprise Ireland Competitive Start Funds (CSFs) which are open for applications.

The two funds for “All Sectors” and “Women Entrepreneurs” amount to a combined total of €2m. Enterprise Ireland can approve a maximum of 40 investments of up to €50,000 in equity funding to successful projects.

County Wexford Chamber Deputy CEO Emma Dunphy says ” I would encourage any ambitious entrepreneurs and start-ups across County Wexford with an eligible innovative product or service set for international markets to apply for this funding.

The new funds are part of Enterprise Ireland’s strategy for increasing the number of diverse High Potential Start-Up companies (HPSUs) that have the potential and ambition to succeed internationally. They are designed to help start-ups reach key commercial and technical milestones.

Details of these workshops, as well as the Competitive Start Fund application forms and eligibility criteria for funding can be accessed on the Enterprise Ireland website at www.enterprise-ireland.com/csf.

The closing date for both CSF competitions is in three weeks’ time at 3pm on Tuesday, 28 September.

The Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Minister English said: “As the country emerges from the pandemic, we need to continue to cultivate the country’s start-up culture and help ambitious entrepreneurs to move their business ideas to the next level.

Getting your own business up and running is challenging at the best of times, so I am encouraging eligible early-stage start-ups with global ambition to apply to the relevant Competitive Start Fund competition, each of which is worth up to €1m. I am particularly pleased to see Enterprise Ireland continue to prioritise increasing the number of women entrepreneurs as we know from years of international research that greater diversity delivers better business results.”