The MEW Student Enterprise Challenge took place during Meath Enterprise Week and students from secondary schools across Meath got the opportunity to showcase their business ideas and benefit from cash prizes and awards.

Competing students pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges (Gary O’Meara Meath Enterprise, Valerie Willis Prepaid Financial Services, Alma McClorey AIB, Rosita Moyles JM Foods) at the new Kells Tech Hub in the run up to Meath Enterprise Week. Winners were the announced at the MEW Business Conference & Expo in the Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim where many of the students participated in the expo before receiving their awards and cash prizes. 

Speaking at the event Gary O’Meara CEO Meath Enterprise said “The MEW Student Enterprise Challenge is a great opportunity for these young entrepreneurs to learn how to pitch their ideas and promote the businesses while also benefiting from financial support than can help them move their business forward. I would like to thank Prepaid Financial Services, AIB and JM Foods for sponsoring this initiative and also congratulate the participating schools for the fantastic work they do to promote entrepreneurship to their students”

The schools also received cash prizes with Meath Enterprise matching the winnings from each category in which they were represented.

The MEW Student Enterprise Challenge is an annual competition currently open to students of all secondary schools in Meath where students compete for the awards of Best New Business, Best Pre-Startup and Best 10 Minute Pitch

The purpose of the competition is to encourage and reward entrepreneurial creativity, innovation and participation among the youth of Meath while also providing a platform for aspiring young entrepreneurs to engage with and learn from leading entrepreneurs and businesses from across the region.

The MEW Student Enterprise Challenge, which is now in its 5th year, has been an important starting point for many student start-ups in Meath and is an excellent opportunity for students to meet potential business advisers, mentors and investors.

 A huge thanks to all the students and schools who competed for making it such a competitive and interesting contest. 

Winners of the 2018 MEW Student Enterprise Challenge

Best New Business

1 – Lighting PC Customs                      (St Pats CS)                               €600    (Same to school)

Simon Goodwin, Jack Donohoe, Ethon Davis, Keelan Mulvaney, Callum Shields 

2 – Safe-Tea                                         (Dunshaughlin CC)                    €300

Cian Maguire, Sean McConnell, Ruairi Kinsella 

3 – Code-Ed                                         (St Pats)                                    €150

Matthew Clinton, Jake Casserly, Cian Perdisatt 

4 – NeezUp                                          (Eureka CS)                               €75

Sinead Forde, Ciara Fullerton, Ciara Slater 

Best Pre-Startup

1 – Gaeilgeoirí Beag                             (St Joseph’s / Mercy)                 €400    (Same to school)

Ciara Brady, Lauren Gilroy, Rachel Gavin, Fate Russell, Hannah Dempsey 

2 – First Cow / Calf Safety Barrier          (Dunshaughlin CC)                    €200

Eoin McLoughlin 

3 – Music Rules                                    (St Pats CS)                               €100

Ciaran Cahill, Robert Staunton

4 – The Calf Catcher                             (Eureka)                                    €50

Emma Hetherton, Orla Griffin, Aisling Daly (

Best 10 Minute Pitch

Printed / Next Level Jewellery              (Dunshaughlin CC)                    €250    (Same to school)

Lauren Mc Conkey, Ingrid Reilly, Chloe Bissett, Aoife Sheehan