Imagine that your high-tech start-up did not have the headache of finding office space or having to worry about the problems of lighting, heating and cleaning that office for a whole year.

That is what awaits the winner of the The Irish Times and Synergy Centre's hi-tech start-up leg-up competition.

Apart from a year's free space in a 23sq m self-contained office that seats four people in the Synergy Centre based at the Institute of Technology, Tallaght (ITT), the winner will also have access to training courses on topics such as selling, finance and presentation skills, networking events and opportunities, mentoring, and one-to-one business planning and advice.

Synergy Centre provides office space and business support to early-stage business in the high technology and knowledge intensive sectors

The winner will also have access to Synergy Centre's facilities, including the boardroom which seats up to 14 people; the Glasshouse, a seminar room seating up to 40 people; a cafe; wireless access areas; external terraces; 24/7 access; and VoIP phone systems.

ITT Dublin also offers facilities such as the library, academic staff, and prototyping and fabrication facilities.

The competition is open to any start-up that has been running for fewer than three years.

Applicants have to be in high-tech or knowledge- intensive industries and should demonstrate growth potential in the export and employment areas.

Judging criteria will also take into account the innovative nature of the idea, its feasibility, the experience of promoters and the benefit to be derived from incubation.

Closing date for entries is Thursday, November 30th.

The judging panel includes Nicola Mountford, manager of Synergy Centre; Mark Cunningham, managing director of Bank of Ireland Private Banking; Patricia O'Sullivan, entrepreneur and manager of the M50 programme for entrepreneurs which is run across ITT Dublin, UCD, DCU and Blanchardstown IT; Dominic Coyle, deputy business editor of The Irish Times; and a representative of Enterprise Ireland.

The panel will shortlist three finalists and choose a winner.

The finalists will be profiled in The Irish Times on Friday, December 15th, Friday, December 29th and Friday, January 5th. These will also be profiled on the Synergy Centre website at this time.

The winner will be announced at a presentation in the Synergy Centre on Thursday, January 11th. The free year will commence in Synergy on February 1st, 2007.

More information and application forms are available at www.synergycentre.ie