Young social entrepreneurs could win trip to Brussels
Local Transition Year students are being urged to enter the Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year competition, with the top prize being a trip to Brussels to visit the European Parliament.
The closing date for entries is tomorrow, Friday, September 19, and it is open to students in the Just Transition region, comprising Westmeath, Roscommon, Offaly, Laois, Longford, East Galway, and parts of Tipperary.
The competition is being run by the Social Enterprise Exchange, which aims to promote social enterprise in the Just Transition region. Social enterprises employ 85,000 people and contribute €2.3bn to the national economy. The sector thrives on innovation, creativity, and sensitivity to the needs of our communities.
And it is with this in mind that the Social Enterprise Exchange is inviting transition year students to participate in the competition. The ogranisers say the winning business proposal will be an imaginative, effective and viable response to a local social, economic or environmental need.
"The Young Scientist Entrepreneur of the Year competition is much more than a competition. It presents an opportunity for the young population to engage with transition to the new economies. It will provide an unforgettable experience for their school time for students who take part. The process is about embedding a gateway for social enterprise in the region," the competition website states.
Examples include organising a coffee shop for teenagers that opens in the evening; a car-pooling app; a bicycle service and parts recycle and upcycle business; a voluntary befriending service.
Students will learn vital skills for setting up a modern business, including conducting a feasibility study, project management, working with a budget, creating a communications plan writing a business plan. The winning entry for each county will present their proposal in Leinster House. The overall winning team will be invited to European Parliament in Brussels as a guest of Maria Walsh MEP.
You can find out more about the competition here.