A LOUTH-BASED entrepreneur has launched a fund to help unemployed graduates of DCU and Dundalk Institute of Technology evaluate and develop their best new technology start-up ideas.
In partnership with the two universities, and with the help of the Irish business community in Canada, Pat McKeown, founder of internet and business services firm FF Solutions, has put together the Paraic McKeown Memorial Fund, which will provide proof of concept funds to qualifying projects.
Much of the financial backing for the fund has come from the Irish community in Canada who wanted to do something to benefit young Irish graduates.
The fund honours the memory of Mr McKeown’s son, Paraic, who tragically drowned this summer after travelling to Toronto as part of the J1 working visa programme.
Aimed primarily at graduates who have a business idea that merits further feasibility studies, the so-called Pride programme aims to provide a stepping-stone to self-employment while providing graduates with the necessary business skills required to research, plan and execute a start-up. Although open to all, the organisers say it is “primarily” aimed at recently unemployed DCU and DkIT alumni.
Free of charge, the initiative begins with a series of interactive workshops, taking place over a five-week period and alternating between the two universities’ campuses.
Unlike the typical start-your-own business course, these workshops will focus on the feasibility and viability of the participants’ business ideas.
The next stage of the programme involves expert evaluation of these new proposals, along with potential space in the universities’ business incubation centres.
“Our family is delighted to be part of this worthy initiative and hope that the funds provided will help a number of enterprising graduates to realise their ambitions,” said Mr McKeown.
“We are delighted to be partners in this unique initiative and look forward to future successful technology businesses being launched,” said Maria Johnston from Invent, DCU’s innovation and enterprise centre.
The closing date for applications to the Pride programme is November 11th, 2009, and it will begin on Thursday November, 19th.
