ENFUSE Finals 2024

ENFUSE:

ENFUSE matches local enterprises and social enterprises with teams of masters level university and college students. During semester 2 (January-May) as part of a module, students work in teams typically of 4-6 members with selected enterprises. The students help provide insights, propose solutions and ultimately present a bespoke and tangible plan that sets out how the enterprise can innovate, address challenges and develop opportunities. Student teams present the plan to the enterprise to implement and to their module lecturer to assess.

ENFUSE Aims

• Support local enterprises by providing bespoke plans to innovate, address challenges and develop opportunities
• Provide masters students with real-world consultancy and enterprise experience
• Enhance the local innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem

ENFUSE Finals:

The ENFUSE Finals is a special event where the top student teams from the annual programme compete. This year, enterprises were each matched with a student team from Technological University Dublin (TUD), Dublin City University (DCU), National College of Ireland (NCI), University College Dublin (UCD), Trinity College Dublin (TCD) or Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT). ENFUSE Finalist students teams will be selected from the above, with 10 of the finalist teams shortlisted to pitch live at the ENFUSE Finals. The teams will represent their university / college, lecturer and enterprise, and will compete by pitching to expert judges on the plan they produced for their allocated enterprise.

ENFUSE Finalist student teams will compete to win:

• Titles: 'ENFUSE 2024 - 1st / 2nd / 3rd - Place Student Team'
• 1st Place team names engraved on the ENFUSE Trophy
• 1st Place Cash Prize (One4All Voucher)
• Dublin Place Brand - Goodie Bags (Featuring goodies from LEO Dublin City, Dublin Place Brand, Dublin Regional Skills Forum)
• LEO Training and Mentoring Supports for their allocated enterprise
• Dublin Regional Skills Forum - Skills Audit for their allocated enterprise
• Promotional Opportunities for the team and allocated enterprise
• & more

Representatives from participating enterprises, student teams, universities and colleges, industry stakeholders along with Local Enterprise Office - Dublin City and Dublin City Council staff will be in attendance. Please note: ENFUSE Finals is a private, invite only event. Please register to attend in advance as places are limited.

Event Programme: (Subject to change)

• 18:00 – Registration & Refreshments
• 18:30 – Welcome & Introductions
• 18:50 – Finalist Student Team Pitches
• 19:30 - Break
• 19:40 - Finalist Student Team Pitches
• 20:30 – Closing Address & Interviews
• 20:40 – Announcement: ENFUSE 2024 - 3rd / 2nd / 1st - Place
• 20:45 - Networking
• 21:30 - Event End

Event MC: Susan Hayes Culleton, CFA 'The Positive Economist'

Official Welcome: TBC

Keynote Address: TBC

Judges

• Ross Curley, Head of Economic Development, Dublin City Council
• Natasha Kinsella, Manager, Dublin Regional Skills Forum
• Caroling Power, Programme Manager, Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan
• TBC
• TBC

Panel Discussion (Featuring previous participant enterprise, student and lecturer representatives who will highlight how ENFUSE benefited them)

• TBC

Closing Address: TBC

Recording:

Photographic and video recording will take place at this online event. The purpose of which will be to promote the: event and project. Please inform the event organiser if you do not wish to be featured in a recording. Please refer to our standards on how data is managed at: LEO Dublin City GDPR

Further Information:

To find out more, please visit: ENFUSE

For information on other supports to help start / grow enterprises in Dublin, please visit: Local Enterprise Office Dublin City

Acknowledgements:

Special thanks to all the participant local enterprises / social enterprises, TU Dublin, DCU, NCI, UCD, TCD, IADT students and lecturers, project partner organisations and supporters of ENFUSE this year.

It is supported by and operated in alignment with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, South Dublin and Fingal County Councils and their respective Local Enterprise Offices, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER); Our Public Service 2020; Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Enterprise Ireland; GradStart; Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; Dublin Regional Skills (DRS); Community Resources Network Ireland; Irish Social Enterprise Network; Dublin Place Brand; Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024; European Commission - European Social Economy Regions Project and the European Year of Skills.

Project Awards

In national recognition of the innovativeness and potential to scale, DCC was awarded Public Service Innovation Funding in 2020 from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as part of the Our Public Service initiative. The funding was used to develop branding, communications and programme materials.

ENFUSE was selected as a National Winner in the European Commission’s - European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) 2022 under category 3 which recognises innovative projects and approaches that improve the business environment and support the digital transition. In addition ENFUSE was shortlisted as an overall EEPA European finalist project.

ENFUSE was shortlisted in the Chambers Ireland - Excellence in Local Government Awards 2022 in the Promoting Economic Development category and shortlisted in the Dublin City Council Three Castles Staff Awards 2022 in the Innovation Category.