The end of March can only mean one thing … time for the Fingal Student Enterprise Finals. And what a line up we had this year. Over 300 pupils from 26 schools across Fingal had fought for their place at the county finals and the competition for prizes was tough. They were the cream of the crop, emerging from 2,600 other young entrepreneurs that took part in Fingal. Planned, managed and funded by the Local Enterprise Office Fingal, pupils taking part in the Student Enterprise Programme learn valuable business skills inc. sales, marketing, costing, budgeting, cashflow, teamwork and so much more.

The adjudicators commented that the “standard of entrepreneurs in 2018 has been extremely high” and that each category had many companies that could have taken the title. Adjudicators scored all of the business plans prior to the event and on the Student Enterprise Finals Day, they met with all of the competitors and interviewed them about their business. After lunch, students assembled in the enormous Heather Suite of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Blanchardstown ready for MC Rick O’Shea to take to the stage. Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise in Fingal and Mayor Cllr. Mary McCamley presented the prizes to the proud young entrepreneurs:

• Junior Category (R/U)                              Untanglerz                                 Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan
• Junior Category (R/U)                              Positive Thoughts                      Blakestown Community School
• Junior Category (Winner)                         Barky Bandanas                        Loretto Secondary School Balbriggan
• Intermediate Category (R/U)                   Savons                                       Loretto Secondary School Balbriggan
• Intermediate Category (R/U)                   Eco Lights                                  Skerries Community College
• Intermediate Category (Winner)              Our Ball                                      Castleknock Community College
• Senior Category (R/U)                             Luskopoly                                  Lusk Community College
• Senior Category (R/U)                             DS Audio                                   Le Chéile Tyrellstown
• Senior Category (Winner)                        A Little Languages                     Donabate Community College
• Best Display Award                                  Sign Solutions                           Blakestown Community School
• Innovation Award                                     Good Vibes Hockey,                  Mount Sackville

Two schools won awards for their Enterprising School Spirit Award, Coláiste Choilm and Balbriggan Community College. These were presented by Paddy Lavelle of Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board who have been proud sponsors of the Fingal Student Enterprise Programme for many years.

The overall winners “A Little Languages” from Donabate Community College will go forward to represent Fingal in the Student Enterprise Final in Croke Park on May 2nd and will also take part in a once in a lifetime student enterprise experience in Barcelona later this year. The team at WhiteLight Consulting have been proud to work on the Fingal Student Enterprise Finals since 2016. When we see these wonderful young entrepreneurs in action, we feel very confident that Ireland’s future is in great hands.