Applications are now open for UCD Startup Stars
By John Vaughan | Mar 5 2017
Applications are now open for UCD Startup Stars.UCD Startup Stars is an entrepreneurship programme for undergraduate and postgraduate UCD students from all disciplines.It is run in collaboration with Innovation Academy UCD and the UCD College of Business, and is open to teams with a compelling idea for a new business and consists of a four week programme at NovaUCD, with a cash stipend, workshops and mentoring services, and a cash prize of €3000 for the winning team.Successful applicants will be taught and mentored by industry experts over the four weeks, which includes workshops as well as regular pitching sessions to build up confidence and prepare the teams for the final event. The programme also offers the various teams unique opportunities to network with the community of entrepreneurs based at NovaUCD.The final deadline for applications is 24th March. Up to 15 applicants will be selected to pitch their idea on 5th April. The programme begins on the 29th May and culminates on 5th June with a final event that involves pitching your concept to a panel of judges.Previous winners include Skillar in 2016, a mobile app that accelerates the part-time recruitment process, and Gradhow in 2015, who developed an online platform to help college students land on their two feet by helping them to understand the employment opportunities that are relevant to them and by challenging the way employers recruit.Past participants have commended the programme for boosting their confidence and encouraging them to follow up on ideas they might have otherwise dismissed, showing them that the smallest idea could grow into something much more.