THE County Final of the Kerry County Council Annual Student Enterprise Awards will be held on the this Friday at ITT North Campus.

Over 30 mini-companies set up by local second level schools will participate in the competition. The competition promotes the development of innovation, idea development, business structure, sourcing of finance, marketing/sales and the presentation of a formal business plan.

A wide array of trading projects will be presented including magazines, handmade chocolates, innovative farming equipment and many more.

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Prizes will be awarded at Junior, Intermediate and Senior level. There will be special awards for best idea and most innovative project. The winners of the County Student Enterprise Awards go forward to the National Finals to be held in Croke Park on 3 May 2017.

Margaret Murphy, Programme Organiser states; “I am delighted with the level of interest in the programme this year and look forward to judging day where the projects will be in full display.  Our judges will discuss projects with the students, review their plans and displays.”

Tomás Hayes, Head Of Local Enterprise Office, stated that “Kerry Local Enterprise Office has delivered this programme for fifteen years. This is a real life exercise. It involves idea generation and actual trading. Profits are generated and finance is secured. It is a taste of business and all the issues involved from finding the right idea, funding the business, collecting the money and building the team. I must commend the teachers for their efforts and our mentors for their support. Our judges have a difficult task and I don’t envy them.”

Further information can be obtained by contacting Tomás Hayes, Kerry County Council at (066) 7183522 or www.studententerprise.ie. Here’s what happened at last year’s event…