FAQs
Am I eligible to participate in the Competition?
You can participate if you are:
- Irish residents (but not necessarily Irish nationals) aged 18 or over with a RSI/PPS number
- Non-eircom employees
- Individuals, teams, commercial concerns or academics with a proven ability to deliver on their submitted proposal;
- Submissions which consist of graphical mockups, proofs-of-concept or early-stage products in alpha or beta phases, whether pre-or post-public release;
- Concepts which correspond to the published category list;
- Entities either capable of receiving funding, or prepared to undergo rapid business incubation in order to receive funding;
- Entities keen to commercialise their ideas through a contractual relationship with eircom;
I am not an Irish citizen can I participate?
Even if you are not an Irish citizen you can still participate, however you should be residing in Ireland.
What are the details of the Competition?
Finer details of the competition can be found here
How is the prize money split?
The fund prize is worth €100,000 equally distributed among four winners. Each of the four winner will recieve:
- €16000 cash sum;
- One-day business mentoring session from senior eircom execs to the value of €3000;
- €1,000 per month for six months post-launch management fee
- Additional consultancy, development, training and support from TSSG.
What are the steps to enter the Competition?
Fill out the application form and submit it to us. We will get back to you in due course with results.
Can I submit more than one proposal?
Applicants can submit as many proposals as they wish; however, only one winning proposal per successful applicant will be permitted.
How does judging work?
We have a panel of experts who will evaluate the application in the first round. Some of the application will be filtered out in the first round. In the second round the remaining applicants will make 15-minute oral presentations of their plans, including demos if appropriate. The judges have about 10 minutes of Q&A with each team. After all teams have presented, the judges will pick four winners.
What do the judges look for in the idea?
Judges are seeking original ideas for new web applications and services, primarily limited to the categories listed in the application form. Submissions can consist of graphical mockups, proofs-of-concept or early–stage products in alpha or beta phases, whether pre–or post-public release. Aside from the quality of the core concept, judges will look for a proven ability to deliver the project in the required timescales.
How will my intellectual property be protected?
Your team will be the sole owner of the intellectual property and eircom will have no claim on it. Neither will eircom seek an equity stake in your business
Do I need to be set up as a registered business?
If not already the case, the winning candidate will need to establish his / herself as a limited business in Ireland (support will be provided by TSSG – see below.)
What other assistance is available?
Winners will get a chance to meet industry experts who will mentor you to grow your idea/concept into a business. You will also receive support from the Telecommunication Software & Systems Group (TSSG) – Ireland's leading R&D centre. As part of this support the TSSG will provide free consultancy and training to the winners of the competition. In addition the TSSG will work with the winners to help them develop their web innovation further technically, provide entrepreneurial training and incubation space, and help the winners get their product live and operational.
Who can I contact for more information?
You can contact us on eircomlabs@eircom.net
