Irish start-up programme up for European Enterprise Awards

The Genesis Enterprise Programme (GEP) is one of 12 nominees for the annual EU-wide awards, which aim to reward the best initiatives contributing to a entrepreneurial and business-friendly Europe, for example by boosting small and medium-sized companies and creating new jobs.

GEP, which has been nominated in the Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit category, is a publicly funded, 12-month rapid incubation programme designed to provide support and management skills development for entrepreneurs leading knowledge-based start-ups in Cork and Kerry.

The initiative, which has been on the go since 1998, has so far helped over 140 entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground and its business success stories include Abtran, Amocom, Comnitel, Cully & Sully, Selatra and Pulse Learning.

The programme has an impressive success rate, with 79pc of all of its participants so far still in business.

“Every year the European Enterprise Awards bring to the fore successful initiatives from all over Europe that have created win-win situations for business and communities. This can often be achieved by putting bright ideas into practice and cementing public-private partnerships. As some of this year's projects show, it doesn't require a big budget to achieve this,” said EU Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani.

“The role of the regions in catalysing and carrying out these projects shows how a coordinated, strong regional approach can create jobs and revive the entrepreneurial potential of each region,” added Mercedes Bresso, President of the EU Committee of the Regions.

More than 330 projects competed in national competitions in 28 European countries for the European Enterprise Awards 2010. Participating countries were permitted to select up to two candidates for the European competition. The 53 selected entries were then reviewed by a juryrepresenting business, government and academia to draw up a shortlist of 12 nominees in five categories:

Category 1: Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Austria: unlocking the entrepreneurial potential of young artists at the Johannes Keppler University, Linz
• France: attracting business start-ups with "entrepreneurs' residencies" in Auvergne
• Ireland: nurturing young entrepreneurs through the Genesis Enterprise Programme

Category 2: Investing in Skills

• Sweden: Halland, a region that doubled the number of entrepreneurially-minded young people through education
• United Kingdom: entrepreneurial and economic regeneration creates 3000 jobs and 400 new businesses in Hull

Category 3: Improving the Business Environment

• Greece: reviving traditional cheese types with modern technology on island of Ios
• Slovenia: rate of closure of new businesses is cut in half by providing free support to new entrepreneurs

Category 4: Supporting the Internationalisation of Business

• Germany: cross-border training leads to new business along the Dutch border
• Norway: matching innovative SMEs with international customers

Category 5: Responsible and Inclusive Entrepreneurship

• Finland: increasing by 500% the number of co-operatives in Tampere
• Germany: Nuremberg business keeps competitive through ethics
• Poland: solving labour and housing issues at one go in Nysa.

The winners will be announced on 31 May 2010 in a special ceremony during the Small Business Act conference in Madrid.

Pictured: the founders of Cully & Sully , just one of the 140 entrepreneurs who have benefitted from the Genesis Enterprise Programme