Phase 1: Complete the initial application and upload your slide deck
The initial application form involves you telling us about your company and management team by answering a maximum of 12 questions covering the relevant sections. Text boxes are limited in size to 300 characters. You cannot use more than 300 characters to answer any one question. Your application should be accompanied by a short form slide deck setting out your investment proposal.
After the closing date of 25 April 2025, all applications will be grouped into the regions that they have entered from:
- Dublin (City & County)
- Munster
- Connacht & Leinster (including counties Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan)
- Northern Ireland
An initial selection panel will shortlist applications and invite successful companies to Phase 2. Short listed companies will be invited to attend a 1-2-1 session with our Lead Equity Advisor. These will take place in May, June and July at a mutually convenient date and time.
Phase 2: Submit extended slide deck or business plan
Shortlisted companies should prepare either an extended slide deck or a full business plan.
The extended deck should be provided in the form of PowerPoint, Keynote or PDF and should be provided along with a separate set of financials. Two uploads are expected if using this format; the deck and the financials.
The business plan should be limited to 25 pages of A4 paper plus appendices and should be provided in the form of a single PDF.
To help prepare and develop the investment proposal, shortlisted companies can download the free business planning guide and other useful information and advice from our downloads section – to help you with your preparation. Plans should be submitted in the format above by 15 August 2025.
Companies will be asked which category that the business plan will be entered into. There are three choices; B2B; B2C and DeepTech.
- B2B - The B2B (Business-to-Business) model offers scalable opportunities by providing high-impact solutions to enterprises and SMEs, addressing their operational, efficiency, and growth needs. By delivering tailored SaaS, consulting, or hardware services, B2B companies can drive significant business value across industries. This model potentially supports repeatable revenue streams, long-term contracts, and strong customer relationships.
- B2C - The B2C (Business-to-Consumer) model drives scalable growth by selling consumer-focused goods or services through both online (e-commerce) and offline channels. It targets specific market segments, aligning offerings with consumer behaviour, usage trends, and preferences. By leveraging data-driven insights and maximising accessibility and customer engagement, entrepreneurs can create compelling value propositions.
- Deep Tech - DeepTech represents a unique investment opportunity, rooted in breakthrough scientific discoveries across fields like life sciences, materials science, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, and environmental technologies. With a focus on addressing high-barrier, complex challenges, DeepTech ventures often involve significant R&D and specialized expertise. Many startups originate as university-based spinouts, creating transformative, scalable solutions in areas like personalized medicine and sustainable materials. DeepTech may offer the potential for long-term, impactful returns, driving both societal change and significant market growth.
Companies can only enter into one category.
Phase 3: Regional finals and final awards ceremony
Following submission of the extended slide deck or full business plans, a selection panel will assess and score the submissions. The companies with the top two plans in each region will be invited to pitch at their respective regional final. After their pitch, regional winners are selected for each of the three categories in each of the four regions.
Regional finals will take place on the following dates:
- Munster - 14th October 2025
- Connacht & Leinster - 15th October 2025
- Dublin - 21st October 2025
- Northern Ireland - 22nd October 2025
Prior to attending the regional final, each company shortlisted will have to opportunity to attend an investment pitch master class to assist them in the preparation of their pitch.
Following the regional finals, the judging panel will select the winning companies in each category. There will be 12 winning companies, four B2B companies, four B2C companies and four Deep Tech companies who will be invited to pitch to a separate panel of judges at the all-island semi-finals which will take place the morning of Thursday 6th November 2025.
The judging panel will select the three overall winners in each category in the morning and these will go forward to the all-island final to be held on the afternoon of the semi-finals. The winners of the final will be announced at the award ceremony the same evening. Category and overall winners will receive their prizes (either €130,000 or €100,000) payable by instalments based on achieving the key performance indicators in the business plan to finance the early stages of the venture.
