Offaly students encouraged to sign up for leading teen enterprise programme

Schools across County Offaly are being encouraged to sign-up for this year’s Student Enterprise Programme (SEP) by new Brand Ambassador and rising Irish media star, Louise Cantillon.

A Limerick native and former second level school teacher herself, Louise will be encouraging the thousands of participating students this year as they embark on their exciting entrepreneurial journey, creating, setting up and running their own business to compete for the top prize of Student Enterprise of the Year

Orla Martin, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office, Offaly says that “the Student Enterprise Programme is a great introduction to the world of entrepreneurship which allows students to develop new skills and uncover talents they might not have known that they possess all of which builds confidence. It provides opportunities to run part-time or hobby businesses that can continue long after the competition”

An initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices of Ireland, the Student Enterprise Programme is the country’s largest enterprise programme for second level students, with this year marking the 22nd year of the hugely successful programme. Over 25,000 students from approximately 500 second level schools across the country are expected to take part.

Students from 1st year to 6th year can enter in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories. Participants will learn how to create and run their own business, picking up key skills along the way such as ideation, marketing, finance and sales.

The Programme is run through the network of Local Enterprise Offices, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the local authorities, with local coordinators in every area to support teachers and students through the year of the programme, which helps foster entrepreneurship in students and gives them key skills they can bring with them into later life.

Last year the winners were MC Compactors from Roscommon in the Senior Category with their business idea - an innovative stainless-steel rubbish compactor. In the Intermediate category the winner was Clip Clop Designs – a company that upcycled used horse shoes into household ornaments. The Junior category was won by a group of Leitrim students with their student enterprise Grasper - a lift mechanism to open slatted tank covers on farms.

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2002, over 325,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business. 

The Student Enterprise Programme also has a new range of online resources for 2023/2024 at

www.studententerprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers. Resources are also available as gaeilge this year.

Offaly has had success over the years with

2015 “An Tionchar” from St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr developed an impact hurling boot. The boot, designed to help with injury prevention won the top award in the Senior Category at the National Finals.

In 2018 a bread mix inspired by a 100-year-old recipe from the Cistercian Monks in Roscrea earned ‘Abbey Bread’ from Cistercian College, Roscrea the top award in the Senior Category at the National Finals.

2020 Intermediate Winner Santa’s Reindeers from Tullamore College was selected as one of the 5 national alumni to mark the 20 year anniversary of the programme in 2022 and this business continues to go from strength to strength.

2021 Senior Winner at county level Hology Photography from St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr went on to win a Social Media award at the National Finals.

2022 Cian Conway from Tullamore College won a national award in the My Entrepreneurial Journey competition

2023 ‘Crú Capaill” which makes decorative items from recycled horseshoes from Killina Presentation Secondary School won a merit award and Sinead Ryan from Tullamore College won an award for her project in the My Entrepreneurial Journey category in the National Finals.