Public tendering lessons learned at the smart business show

Smart business public tendering session

I had the pleasure to chair a session about the state of public tendering in Ireland at the Smart Business Show. The panel consisted of Ross McCarthy of Keystone Procurement, Tony Corrigan of Tenderscout and Tony Clarke of Kendlebell.

Learned a lot

Learned a lot. The size of public procurement in Ireland is 9 billion. With another 4 billion by the agencies. It is about 16% of GDP and a bigger chunk of GNP. That is a lot of money. Surprisingly only 26,000 companies are registered for e-tender and only 15% of those 26,000 is active.

Hot topic

Public tendering has been a hot topic on Smallbusinesscan and my impression was that SMEs still don’t get a look in. However things seem to start to change. And it is not all the fault of government. Apparently the quality of the tenders of Irish SMEs is not very good and needs to shape up if they want to be taken seriously.

Networking is important in public tendering

Tony Corrigan made the point, that tendering is not just about the tendering process. it is about getting to know the buyers and as with all business is about networking and account management (before you tender). You need to be know and you need to be liked and respected.

Different rules

The other Tony said that public tendering is very different to “normal” tendering and different rules apply. Ross said that public tendering only makes sense after you have made an assessment if it makes commercial sense and compares favourably to selling to commercial clients. You need to score at least 90% on the tendering criteria. Below, tendering is pointless. It cost on average € 4,500 per tender to tender.

Public tendering is a skill

It is a skill, but once you are in and have learned the tricks, it is a serious opportunity. You should visit the public tendering workshops that Enterprise Ireland, Intertrade, DCU and/or the LEOs provide.

Competitive dialogue

We talked about the problem of start ups getting access to public tender. If you are an innovative start up, you should look at the competitive dialogue route and find an innovate, buyer willing to work with you to develop a product or service that doesn’t exist using this innovation clause.

Consortia, professionalisation, social impact

We touched on consortia. Ross suggest that they can only work if the companies work to develop a commercial relationship that is as strong as a JV. What you build, when clustering successfully, is essentially a special purpose vehicle to win specific types of public sector work.

We touched upon the professionalism of the buyers, which is improving. We talked about cost/price being an important criteria for public procurement (maybe too much) and we talked about scoring social impact (which is not yet included as a criteria).

Opportunity

I am not doing the conversations and the questions of the audience justice. My conclusion is that is an underestimated opportunity, that the opportunity cost are still high and if you decide to go for it, you need to be professional about it. There is a learning curve, but once you are in, you have creating a competitive advantage. And now is the time.

The experts

If you have any question, I am not the one to ask. Here are the linkedIn profiles of the real experts.

ie.linkedin.com/in/rossmccarthy/en

ie.linkedin.com/in/kendlebellnaas/en

ie.linkedin.com/pub/tony-corrigan/0/362/97b/en

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Improve your business by using ancient mind techniques

The explosion of research and indeed the apparent exponential growth in universities from all round the world publishing papers on the benefits of practising meditation, mindfulness and what some call ‘calm’ is wonderful opportunity for all of us.

Our brains

This together with the ever increasing availability of evidence and understanding of how our brains actually work through popular acceptance and interest in neuroscience proves beyond doubt that there is direct improvement in functioning as a result of regular practice. All of this gives us legitimate permission and I do mean permission because as we know so many people – in fact maybe the majority of folks seem to need proof even empirical data and evidence that what we do will work before venturing forth.

Magic

Magically, at the same time there are those who are less inclined to need all this and who are even much more confident with more spiritual explanations for what its all about, but nevertheless it still works wonders for them too. So wherever people are on that continuum you can be sure that you will gain all manner of benefits that otherwise would not come to you if you choose to practice with your tools or better still attend one of our up and coming events to get some more. In MindStore we say “it only works” and it has been doing so for over 25 years while it continues to evolve and grow no matter what explanations are postulated for why.

Spiritual not technical

That said, to be honest I can swing in either direction in-terms of explanations though I am more inclined to sit towards the spiritual emphasis. However I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy my smart TV and what it can do, likewise my iPhone and since I was 18 driving around in cars. Each of these things that have continued to evolve and have become central to my life I don’t have a clue about how they work. I’ve got techie friends and a petrol head mate who do and seem love reading about what’s happening under the bonnet or behind the screen. However I can’t be bothered even spending a minute with this, however I absolutely respect their passion for doing so and wish them well with it.

Alpha state

I am much more interested in what you and I can do with it all because that’s just how I am. So for all these years I have been exploring what can be done in the alpha state, how far can I push myself and what kind of tools and programs will help people change their lives for the better? However there has never been a better time to own up to being an enthusiast and for encouraging your colleagues at work or indeed family or friends to take a closer look. Both they and you will certainly benefit from doing so and that empirically is a fact. Like never before has there been such an open willingness in folks to want to know and indeed learn about how to practice and improve with this kind of stuff.

Mindfulness

With newspapers, magazines and endless other sources people will certainly have heard of “mindfulness” which is a word that covers all sorts of possibilities and it’s certainly increasingly becoming more mainstream. So no there’s no need for any of us to get embarrassed or be shy to say that we practice meditation type techniques. After all they are now without question proven to improve all manner of aspects of our lives. After 25 years pedigree and all those companies and leading figures not to mention thousands of success stories with our House on The Right Bank or Island have as much credibility as anyone else in this field and probably much more.

Many tools and techniques for improving personal and group performance

It’s also becoming much easier for me to teach more advanced material too, even to beginners, because the sceptical resistance is melting away and there is a genuine hunger to have as many tools and techniques for improving personal and group performance. Quite simply – it’s just normal now and it’s even beginning to look like not having access will limit folks opportunities especially in their careers.

Bruce Lee

Think for a moment of the folks around you at work, your neighbours and of course family and friends who are moving through this life that is all too short but who still don’t have the range of tools and techniques we have that absolutely give us proven advantages. However, as I say repeatedly “it’s not enough to get this intellectually” we only have the added potential if we actually do it. Bruce Lee said “Knowing is not enough we must apply, willing is not enough we must do.” I know without doubt that the vast majority of “graduates” of MindStore programs have no doubt about the benefits of practising but it’s remembering to do it that is the challenge.

I also know that having people around you who are “graduates” too is more inclined to make it the thing to do, and as a result everything associated with MindStore begins to dramatically improve.

Whether people feel the need to mitigate and free themselves from the downside of modern life or are more inclined to want to unlock the upside and achieve much more of their potential then now is the time to get to it.

Is stress and anxiety part of your day to day life or do you suffer from poor sleep?

So is stress and anxiety part of your day to day life or do you suffer from poor sleep? are you inclined to have headaches? tend to feel overwhelmed at times? or are unable to hold your attention or have a general sense of uncertainty and helplessness? there is no doubt that that’s increasingly the norm especially with most folks working longer and harder. Someone has to be making up the statistics of 70% of doctors visits being stress related and spare a thought for the 1/3 of workers in the city of London for example who are reported to be suffering from mental health complaints. If that’s what is going on than MindStore can tackle it and provide much more besides.

On the other hand we are able to enjoy deeper sleep, more self-control, compassion, focused attention, a better quality and more useful decisions, enhanced emotional intelligence, improving relationships with more self-awareness through more empathy and compassion. MindStore promises a much more authentic you with a brighter outlook, more energy and much more fun.

Active approach

Our approach in itself is not a passive method, one of reaching a state of absolute stillness and quietude, though that is very special in its own right. Our entire approach which does include the peaceful state is actually a dynamic meditative method providing enhanced thinking where all our facilities come together empowering us to achieve way beyond that which is possible rather than if you go about things without our methods, tools and techniques.

I am finding that by and large there are two camps emerging in first time attendees or in in-house events and with conference audiences. First, there is a sizeable portion that do need the security and back up of knowing that science and research is right behind it all and has an abundance of data proving without doubt all the beneficial claims of this overall movement. When I started I was a pioneer in the UK facing huge cultural blocks that I had to slowly chip away at but that has all changed over time.

The Field of Pure Potentiality

On the other hand there is a growing acceptance and belief in the notion of a higher self, higher intelligence, universal consciousness or what Deepak Chopra calls “The Field of Pure Potentiality.” Many more are comfortable with the notion that when we find our way into the meditative state that there is a kind of “connectedness” or “inter-connectedness” with a higher power or communal wisdom. Indeed there is a growing acceptance of the ideas around spirituality anyway, even in hard business settings and that explaining all the benefits form this place is as valid as relying on the scientific and empirical evidence coming from academic research.

The scientists and the philosophers can’t prove or disprove what each are saying about consciousness itself but they do accept that it exists. Maybe it’s enough to have the desire to improve on what we are doing with it and for me probably more important than explaining what it is one way or the other. I have definitely witnessed extraordinary change and improvement in those who seek “to do” and “apply.”

Bring this to your business

We are now bringing these techniques to businesses as well. Hence the Business Master class in Dublin on 12 June.

You can book your place here

Keep Smiling

Jack

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Small Business Project Management

Project management is a process that is always evolving through various processes and methods, and businesses of all sizes are on the lookout for ways in which it can be managed more efficiently. For small businesses in particular, project management is a powerful tool when used smartly. Not only can effective project management improve the performance but it can empower. Small businesses can use faster project speed as a competitive advantage, can train quicker and reinvent projects with specialised skills and teams, something a large business can often overlook.

History of Project Management

To really understand how important project management is and how effective methods can be you should take a look back through history and examine the changes, impacts and developments you can learn from. To help you on this learning curve, take a look at the Telegraph Courses Project Management Timeline data graphic which explains why project management is so important and how it has been used and developed throughout history through to modern day builds.

The timeline starts by looking at the Great Pyramid of Giza, composed of 2,300,000 blocks of stone, 450ft high and built in 2570 BC. This amazing piece of history took in total around 20-25,000 workers to complete the project. It is estimated that it took around 20 to 30 years to build. Following on from this is the Great Wall of China. This build would have been comparable to around £300bn in costs today.

In those times there were basic management systems put in place, which shows the beginnings of Project Management in action. These included people management, time management and materials management. As the data goes on to show more modern builds such as the Shard, the tallest building in Europe have adopted different project management approaches.

Industry Growth

The industry in the project management field is growing as the data goes on to show. This is really useful for small businesses and start-ups to see as it gives an insight into the types of project methodologies used and predictions for the future.

Looking at the global Project Management Outlook, it provides an overview of sectors to watch in various countries. This is interesting as it explains how sectors are progressing. For example, in the United Kingdom it is suggested that IT and construction are two main industries to watch, as there is a huge demand for those working in Project Management with the correct skills. So should your next project build be targeted to these sectors as they look likely to provide success?

One thing small businesses/start-ups should be keeping track are these trends. Furthermore, some of the future Project Management Industry trends include remote project teams, independent consultants, mobile Project Management apps and the usage of big data as a project management tool. All of these are important for small businesses and startups to understand as it helps gain a step forward as being aware of these future predictions means being prepared and ready to adapt to them.

Future of Entrepreneurs

Just like the Pyramid build do you feel you have the capable skills to develop your business from the ground up and project management it? If you are not sure then you can use the data graphic to answer this question. If you answer yes to the following then you should have what it takes to become an entrepreneur PM which is crucial for the success of a small business.

Do you get the big picture?

Can you cope with uncertainty?

Are you patient?

Are you a leader/motivator?

Are you proactive?

Can you delegate?

If the Pyramids can still stand strong today then so can your small business, it just means adopting the right methods, principles and methodologies.

The Commitment in project management is shifting and although the change is slow the key focus is still on entrepreneurial skills, youth entrepreneurship in particular is becoming a framework for teaching the 21^st century. So it is evident to see how important the shift will become already and how businesses will strive in the future; learning from the motivated youth entrepreneurs of the 20^th century.

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Internet Of Things – Fueling Marketing Revolution with Connected Life

In our everyday life, we come across various technological revolutions that impact everything we do. However, how many of us have actually been impacted with a new gigantic wave that has completely changed the entire technological realm. Today’s topic of discussion revolves around one such gigantic advancement that has provided marketers with countless opportunities to create a WOW experience for customers.

Internet of Things (IoT) is driving every marketer to bring some smart revolutionary changes in the technological sphere. According to recent research, IoT ranked as the second most important area in 2015 in many countries and would have the biggest effect on marketers by 2020. The installation base of IoT devices worldwide would rise from 4.88 billion to nearly 25.01 billion between 2015 and 2020. The UK Government announced that they will spend an additional £45m on developing Internet of Things enabled technology. Not only in technology, but IoT has successfully influenced other sectors such as insurance marketers for better engagement of consumers.

Internet Of Things (IoT)

IoT is the network of dedicated physical objects that comprises of embedded technology to sense and interact with external environment or their internal state. IoT contains an ecosystem that consists of applications, data analysis, things and communication.

What Can Be Currently Achieved With IoT, From Marketing Perspective?

The buzz is that every device will soon get connected to the internet, which will boost productivity and reduce energy needs.

Easy Availability Of Customer’s Data And Feedback

When every device can be programmed and tracked, it becomes easier for the marketers to collect and analyse the ever-increasing varieties of behavioural statistics of the consumers. The cross-correlation of data helps in revolutionising the targeted marketing of products and services. Marketers can now find the doors to any machine-to-machine derived information. They have enough opportunities to interact with consumers in new and exciting ways. The wealth of data can be utilised to deepen customer insights and optimise customer performance.

With new IoT devices being invented every other day, it represents opportunities to market new products and services. Marketers can deliver more personalised and engaging information to customers in the most relevant channels. Also with customer’s instant feedback, especially when a product isn’t living up to the expectation, retailers are able to cut their losses much sooner than later.

Smart Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

IoT when used in conjunction with CRM tool helps in gathering and organising client data. The technology embedded devices can streamline the buyer’s chain of command and decisions and help retailers understand where the prospects are in their buying journey. This enables marketers serve the right information and nurture the clients to close a deal.

It Is Not Just Banner Ads Or Pop-Ups Anymore

No longer will marketers have to rely on banner ads and pop-ups to let the world know about their products and services. The increasing numbers of connected devices fitted with sensors and constant network accessibility has entirely changed the face of advertising. With IoT advertisements, no prospects will be served with an advertisement that does not align perfectly with their interests, behaviours and past purchase. Not only will the consumers save time by being served with relevant ads but also the marketers save thousands of pounds after irrelevant advertisements.

The Smart IoT Devices And Marketing

With smart glasses such as Google Glass, marketers can display ads when users look at a particular item or take its picture. They can also deliver the right information at the right place and time especially when consumers use the device to check prices and research products while shopping.

Similarly, smart lighting system has enabled retailers to interact directly with visitors’ smartphones. For instance, it allows retailers to give shoppers directions to specific store items. Some of the LED system can also be connected with a mobile app that can be used to send targeted messages and coupons when customers are at a particular location within the store.

Most interestingly, if marketers can use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, it can present a number of potential opportunities for them. RFID serves as a tool to customise and enhance customer experience. Some retailers are using RFID smart tags to play tunes to the clothes that shoppers are trying on. They’re using the tunes or songs of celebrities that best match the style of the apparel. The aim is to put customers in the right purchasing mindset and help them imagine themselves wearing the perfect clothes. Undoubtedly, this creates an overall pleasant shopping experience.

A mass-market application of IoT in UK is the use of Hive. Hive is an app from British Gas that allows householders to control their central heating process via their smartphones. This innovation has substantially improved people’s everyday lives. The users can get hot water only when they need to, thereby reducing energy waste and saving money.

With data collected from the adopters of wearable tech, brands can better understand where and when shoppers might take action on a trigger. This is where the marketers can provide value and convenience to people using such devices.

How IoT Can Benefit An Organisation’s Business Goal?

As IoT can afford new opportunities in the next few years, it can drastically

Enhance customer satisfaction and engagement
Increase productivity operation and infrastructure
Improve product design and build new products
Reduce maintenance cost and system downtime.

Connected products provide brands with a direct, real time interface and interaction point with consumers. Marketers are looking forward to more limitless opportunities enabled by IoT. And with billions of new things becoming smarter with Internet Of Things, marketers will surely not let their marketing strategy remain ineffective.

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On The Leading Edge – Maven TM Finalist For SFA Business Awards 2015

As many businesses know only too well, finding the right sales leads can cost dearly in terms of time and money. Maven TM saves its clients on both fronts by doing the hard work for them.

IN 2011, as businesses found it difficult to generate sales leads, Mark Cradock spotted an opportunity for a new Irish company. Cradock had been working in technology, sales and marketing since 1998, and identified a need in the market for a company that would find and create sales opportunities for IT firms.

He set up Maven TM in Carlow, a business-to-business telemarketing and sales lead generation company. The definition of maven, incidentally, is a trusted expert or connoisseur.

20-Fold Return on Investment

“At that point in the recession, companies were having challenges finding new business and churn of customer. I could see a need for us to bring our skills to bear with IT companies to help them win new business. We do a combination of market research and telephone calling. We research the market on behalf of our customers to identify companies that are suited to them and in buying mode,” says Cradock.

He adds that, typically, the firm’s clients achieve in excess of a 20-fold return on investment in Maven TM’s services.
“The key to our success is simply the good work we do. If we deliver success to our client, they get a strong margin on their investment. That’s led to strong repeat business.”

Growth

In just four years, Cradock has built up a team of 30, and in 2014 grew sales revenue by 82pc. He says one of the challenges he’s faced is in ensuring the company is growing at the right rate.

“We don’t want to grow too fast but want to make sure we have the resources to fulfil our campaigns successfully. We have clients now in over 10 countries, we conduct campaigns into 23 countries, and we cater to 12 languages.”

Maven TM has clients in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Scandinavia and the US, with international markets comprising 40pc of the work it does. Last year, it won a significant contract with Vodafone.

The company became a client of Enterprise Ireland in 2014, which helped with its expansion overseas.

Enterprise Ireland Support

“It’s always great to get support like that. It helps accelerate the growth, and to secure more of the jobs in the company,” says Cradock.

A key strategy for the firm in 2015 is growth and development of partnerships for the US market. Cradock expects it to double its revenue from now until the end of 2016, and to double its head count in that period.

The firm is also planning to move premises within Carlow this year, to accommodate its growth.

This all lead to Maven TM being shortlisted out of 500 applicants and finalists in the service category.

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A Mad New Start-Up!

Madinks.ie is a mad new start-up. A new innovative website that makes shopping for Printer Ink as easy as possible for the end user. Our goal is to provide customers with a high quality, competitively priced product, and make the shopping online experience as much fun as possible! We have developed an award winning website that has simplified the process of buying printer ink, while offering customers the best prices on printer ink on the web. Our cartridge finder shows customers a picture of their printer, to help identify what cartridges they need to buy. Customers can then save their preferences making repeat purchases as easy as possible. We have also partnered with An Post Courier service ensuring deliveries throughout Ireland are speedy and next day!

Best Micro e-Commerce website

Since we have gone live, within the first month we managed to win Best Micro e-Commerce website at the 2014 Web Awards. This was an incredible achievement considering the intense competition, and acknowledged all the hard work that had gone into the site development over the last number of months prior to launching the website. It was also the most fun you can have at an Awards ceremony, and we are really looking forward to this years show!

Shortly after this we managed to win Best Digital Retail Experience at the Eircom Spiders 2014 Awards ceremony. This was very much unexpected, and considering our competition we were absolutely shocked to have won in such a difficult category. The Eircom Spiders is a very prestigious award, and both ourselves and our development team at Artizan were over the moon to win in such a competitive category.

So why ink? Well I had previously been trying to order printer ink, and found the whole experience soul destroying! After perusing through outdated websites, which seemed to make the process as difficult as possible for the customer, and lack of sites configured to the new technology platforms such as iPhones, smartphones, iPads etc., I was left perplexed! This in itself was an eye opener, as the industry seems to have stood still for the last number of years, unwilling to catch up with the times.

Friendly Buying Experience

The new world is a hectic one, whereby people want to buy via their smartphones while watching TV, so I thought to myself why not? We then put a team together to investigate why the process was so difficult, and to try and make the buying experience a friendly and easy one…. And we did!

At Madinks we have taken the boring and difficult part out of ordering ink online. All the hard parts are already done for the customer, so the ordering process is made as simple as possible. We have a facility within your account that allows the system to remember your printer, so next time you are ordering, you are only two clicks away from finding the correct cartridges from your machine. This has sped up customer interactions and made the process exceptionally easy to follow.

We also developed a brand character named “Carter”, who is our site mascot designed to help customers by guiding them through our website, and offering live support to answer any and all questions. We felt adapting to new technologies would separate us from our competitors in the market place.

In terms of competitiveness we have found that the majority of customers are more interested in service and support rather than focusing in on price. We have found an increasing number of students are now buying from the website to avail of our remarkably low prices! On average we have managed to price our product 20-30% cheaper than our competitors. Our high customer demand and low overheads have managed to keep our buying power strong, and all of our savings we pass on to the end customer. This strategy coupled with our cutting edge technology has secured our position in the market place and instilled thrust and loyalty from our customers.

For more information and great deals on printer ink cartridges check out https://www.madinks.ie

We are constantly updating our Facebook and Twitter accounts and we also use Google+, all of which can be accessed directly from our website!

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What Happens if You Can’t Afford an Employee Redundancy Payment?

Over the last 7 years, a significant number of companies have faced financial difficulty, often necessitating making employees redundant. However, it is often the case that the employer can’t even afford to pay the employee redundancy payment given the financial position of the business. So what happens here?

Employee Redundancy Payment Entitlements

Pay An employee is entitled to redundancy pay by virtue of Schedule 3 of the Redundancy Payments Acts. If an employee is made redundant then they qualify for statutory redundancy pay if they have 104 weeks’ continuous reckonable service or more with the employer in question.

Statutory redundancy pay amounts to two weeks’ pay per each year of service, plus one bonus week. Thus, if an employee has exactly 3 years’ service they are entitled to [(3 years x 2 weeks) + 1 bonus week] = 7 weeks redundancy pay. The weekly pay is based on the normal weekly wage earned by that employee during their employment, including commission or other varied payments, but it is subject to the statutory ceiling of €600 per week. Thus, if the employee with 3 years’ service earned €800 a week then their statutory redundancy is capped at (7 weeks x €600) = €4200. Any part years’ service should be included on a pro rata basis when calculating the employee’s redundancy entitlement.

Inability to Pay the Redundancy

Payment Given the financial climate of recent times, more and more companies are finding the need to inform their employees to claim redundancy through the Social Insurance fund. This situation arises when the company does not have enough financial means to pay the redundancy lump sum payment. Once an employee is formally being made redundant, the employer must pay your employee the lump sum on this date.

If you do not have the financial means to pay the lump sum payment, then the employee can apply to the Department of social Protection for direct payment from the Social Insurance Fund. The employee should complete and sign the RP50 form which is still required under the Redundancy Payments Acts. The employer should also submit evidence verified by a suitable person, such as an accountant or solicitor, which verifies that the employer has an inability to pay the redundancy lump sum (e.g. an audit of accounts). The employer should state that they are unable to pay and request that the payment be made from the Social Insurance fund.

It is worth mentioning that seeking recourse under the social insurance fund, will only pay the redundancy statutory lump sum payment and not the notice period, annual leave or public holiday entitlements due to the employee cessation of their employment.

Once your employee has enough social insurance contributions they may be entitled to job seekers benefit. If they do not have enough PRSI contributions you may qualify for Job Seekers Allowance which is a means-tested benefit.

If a company has been liquidated or is in receivership, the completed RP50 should be send in by the liquidator or receiver on behalf of the employees.

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Enter the 2015 the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition

Northern Ireland entrepreneurs could get a huge cash boost for their business, thanks to a total prize fund of €280,000 being offered by the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition 2015, which is now open for entries. For further details visit www.intertradeireland.com/seedcorn. The deadline for submissions is 29 May 2015.

More than just a competition

With a cash prize fund of €280,000 up for grabs, Seedcorn provides a great opportunity for early stage and new start companies in Northern Ireland. However, entrants can get so much more out of the experience, such as invaluable guidance, tips and advice from experts, investors and other entrepreneurs. They will get guidance on how to improve their business plan and investment pitch as well as how best to demonstrate to investors that their business is worth investing in.

The importance of becoming investor ready

Seedcorn encourages and assists the best start-ups on the island to become investor ready. The purpose of business plans and slide decks as part of the competition is to make the investment case for a prospective investor – how might their investment today multiply in value in the next 3-5 years? The Seedcorn process is designed to help great start-ups develop those compelling investment cases.

Seedcorn

InterTradeIreland has supported more than 2,150 enterprising companies through the Seedcorn process in previous years, with former finalists going on to secure more than €187m worth of new equity. Past winners from Northern Ireland include Catagen and Sophia Search from Belfast, who were overall winners and Jenarron Therapeutics, Dunmurray; See. Sense, Newtownards and Cirdan Imaging, Lisburn, who were regional winners.

Businesses can enter in one of the two categories; new start or early stage and there are four regions; Northern Ireland, Dublin (City & County), Munster, and Connacht & Leinster (including counties Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan).

The process

Companies submit their application along with a visual representation of the business idea. Shortlisted companies are invited to submit a full business plan and, if successful, are invited to deliver an investment pitch in front of the judging panel comprising of venture capitalists, business angels and some of the island’s leading industry experts and entrepreneurs.

Throughout each stage of the competition, companies will be judged on various criteria including financial performance, company milestones and achievements, future strategy for the business, the management team in place, and indeed the quality of the pitch to the judging panel. Feedback is provided to companies at each stage of the competition process.

Free workshops

InterTradeIreland is hosting a series of free workshops designed to guide those considering entering this year’s competition, including providing advice on preparation of video clips, presentation slide decks and business plans. Workshops are planned for Belfast on 22 April at Ulster University and NISP and in Derry~Londonderry on 30 April at NISP. More information on the workshops can be found on the InterTradeIreland website www.intertradeireland.com/seedcorn

Follow the action

You can follow all the action throughout the 2015 competition by searching for and using #seedcorn and following @iti_seedcorn

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[Event] The Impact Series – Building an Inclusive Recovery

Social Entrepreneurs Ireland are delighted to invite you to join us for the next event in our exciting speaker series which will focus on the theme “Building an Inclusive Recovery”.

Date: Tuesday 28th April | Venue: Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin 8 |
Doors open: 6.30pm, First speaker: 6.45pm

As Ireland moves towards recovery, are we in danger of leaving behind the most vulnerable members of society? How can we ensure we build an inclusive society for all?

This Impact Series shines a light on leading visionaries who are pioneering innovative solutions to build a more inclusive society – a society which supports people on the margins and ensures they receive very opportunity to reach their greatest potential.

Each of the speakers below will use their unique experience to inspire and challenge us all to think differently about how we might build an inclusive recovery. By sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience, and most importantly their vision, they will demonstrate how their individual projects and experiences are having a lasting impact on the lives of those they support.

Speakers:

Welcome Address: Kevin Humphreys, T.D., Minister of State at Department of Social Protection
Graham Jones, Founder, Solas Project and SEI Elevator Awardee 2013
Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy, Visionary and Social Innovator, Founder of Focus Ireland
Elizabeth Waters, Founder Virtual Community College and SEI Impact Awardee 2014
Lynn Ruane, Graduate of An Cosán & President-elect of Trinity College Students’ Union

Ticket price is a donation of your choice when you book online (or €15 on the door). All ticket proceeds will go towards The Minnovation Fund which will be given to one high potential start-up social entrepreneur on the night. Further details on how to apply to pitch are provided below.

For further information and to register for tickets click here: http://theimpactseries6.eventbrite.ie

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Deko Foods – Ethnic Food Producer to Create 20 Jobs in Meath

Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English TD welcomed the announcement that a UK-based company will establish operations in Meath, creating 20 jobs.

The jobs being created are with white-label ethnic food producers Deko Foods Ltd.

The company was introduced to Ireland through ConnectIreland, the company responsible for delivering the Government’s Succeed in Ireland initiative, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs, in association with IDA Ireland. Enterprise Ireland has also been instrumental in helping the company to establish in Ireland.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister Damien English, T.D., said; “I am delighted that Deko Foods has decided to establish a base in Kells. This adds to a growing number of companies who have chosen Meath to set up their business.

ConnectIreland Project

“This announcement is another ConnectIreland project that is being supported by the enterprise agencies and is a great example of how local communities can work to win valuable new jobs for Ireland and, in particular, regional areas throughout Ireland.”

Deko Foods Ltd is a specialist white-label manufacturer catering for the Afro-Caribbean and South-American segments of the worldwide ethnic foods market. In order to meet international demand for their food and drink products, Deko Foods will establish a processing plant in Kells Business Park.

The company, which will focus on manufacturing dry, non-perishable food items at the Kells base before expanding, hopes to hire 20 employees in the coming three years. Recruitment is already underway for a number of junior positions, including full and part-time warehousing staff and administration.

CEO of Deko Foods

Yomi Aiyegbusi, Founder and CEO of Deko Foods, said: “We chose Kells, due to its close proximity to both Dublin’s seaport and airport, and also because we found a suitable premises there, ideal for our type of operation. Another incentive was the level of government support and funding provided to new businesses choosing to locate in the Kells area; it’s exceptionally higher than other regions.

“I was also introduced to several other food producers and packagers in the area, all of whom assured me that Kells and its neighbouring towns could provide the necessary resources my business requires, like the right staff. I currently need to recruit an office manager, receptionist, warehouse clerk, forklift operator and four production staff.

“Ireland is perfect for us as it has a rich agricultural heritage and because of its proximity to the UK, where we have an established consumer base. Aside from its English speaking, highly literate population and its attractive tax system, another attraction was the many incentives Ireland provides to new and foreign businesses, especially those that are export-driven or invest heavily in R&D.

“As most of our revenue is generated from export sales and we invest heavily in R&D and NPD, these were significant deciding factors for us. But the ultimate deciding factor was not only Ireland’s hospitable and relaxed nature but also because Ireland is a progressive EU nation that encourages entrepreneurship and is slowly becoming a cosmopolitan hub for not only European but world business. We wished to be part of that progress.”

The company was introduced to ConnectIreland by local Meath man Hugh Morris. Hugh previously introduced Luxembourg-based company Mafic to ConnectIreland, and the subsequently located in Kells. Simply by striking up a conversation and asking companies to consider Ireland, Hugh has now been instrumental in securing 110 jobs for his local area.

Kevin Stewart, Meath County Council; Joanna Murphy, COO ConnectIreland; Minister for Skills, Damien English TD; Yomi Aiyegbusi, Deko Foods; Hugh Morris, Connector; and Nick Marmion from Enterprise Ireland celebrate the announcement of 20 jobs for Kells

Michael McLoughlin CEO of ConnectIreland commented: “Securing companies like Deko Foods for regional areas is testament to the great work being done by connectors right across the globe. Simply by asking the question ‘have you considered Ireland’, people like Hugh are helping to create job opportunities in their own counties. This company was considering locating in Spain until Hugh introduced them to ConnectIreland.”

This announcement brings the number of projects created in Meath by ConnectIreland under the Succeed in Ireland initiative to five, creating a total of 160 jobs in the region. Four firms have located in Kells, a fifth in Gibbstown.

Michael Cantwell, Divisional Director with Enterprise Ireland added: “This is great news for Meath and EI congratulate ConnectIreland and warmly welcome this food Foreign Direct Investment from Deko Foods. Enterprise Ireland’s Food Division will continue to work with the management as they build their manufacturing operations in Ireland.”

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