Limerick Institute of Technology secures almost €2 million in funding to support entrepreneurs in the Mid-West

THE Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre at LIT has secured €1.9 million in funding from Enterprise Ireland to continue to run the entrepreneurial development programme – New Frontiers, in the Mid-West for a further five years.   

The New Frontiers programme helps early-stage entrepreneurs develop an innovative idea, launch and grow a business through a combination of interactive workshops, personalised mentorship, access to co-working space, a peer-to-peer community, R&D supports, a national and international network and funding.   

The development programme will support almost 300 entrepreneurs in the region to kick start their business.   

The Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre has been delivering the New Frontiers programme since 2012, supporting founders to create more than 100 new ventures, including Fiid, Trackplan, Get The Shifts, Nualtra, VT and The Child Psychology Institute.   

President of LIT, Prof Vincent Cunnane said, “Supporting innovators and entrepreneurs in the region is at the very core of what we do in LIT, and this will continue as we transition to becoming a Technological University in October.

Sign up for the weekly Limerick Post newsletter

Sign Up

“Our partnership with Enterprise Ireland is very important to us and the we are proud of the impact that the New Frontiers programme continues to make on regional development and indigenous industry in the Mid-West.  Together with our partners and collaborators, we look forward to ensuring this is a thriving region for startup success.”    

Dr Liam Brown, Vice-President of Research, Development & Innovation at LIT welcomed the funding and said “The New Frontiers programme is a huge driver of success for startups in Ireland, helping early stage entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to validate and develop their idea and to launch and grow their businesses to international scale. We in LIT are very proud to be leading this programme in collaboration with our partners.”   

Enterprise Ireland National New Frontiers Programme Manager, Paula Carroll said, “Enterprise Ireland is proud to continue to support and fund this critically-important entrepreneurial development programme for the next five years in order to accelerate the development of sustainable new business startups within the Mid-West region. Our continued partnership with the Hartnett Centre at LIT will ensure we deliver on this ambition.”    

Collaborating on the programme with LIT, Nexus Innovation Centre UL Manager, Gert O’Rourke said, “A vibrant startup ecosystem in the region is critical for balanced development. Nexus Innovation Centre UL supports the accelerated development of national and international startups with a global reach and the commercialisation of academic research, resulting in the creation of new businesses and jobs.

“Upskilling and being in a supportive environment can be vital, especially at the early stages of a startups journey and we are delighted to continue our collaboration with LIT and Enterprise Ireland on the next iteration of the New Frontiers programme.”     

The New Frontiers team are now taking applications for Phase 2, a six-month programme of intensive engagement and mentorship, offering a support package worth €30,000.  

Closing Date for receipt of application is Wednesday, 11th August 2021at 12:00 noon. Go to http://www.hartnettcentre.ie/ for more.