Three Ireland has announced it is once again investing €100,000 into a bursary fund for SMEs as part of its Grants for Small Business programme.
The programme, which is now in its fourth year, has provided Irish SMEs with an investment of over €650,000 by Three since 2021 across products and services, marketing and PR support, as well as access to industry expertise.
This investment will see Three provide funds, connectivity solutions and mentorship to successful applicants.
Funded by Three Ireland and managed by the small business network and support provider, Enterprise Nation, the programme awards 10 small businesses, a portion of the €100,000 bursary.
This bursary will comprise of €5,000 cash, €5,000 for device and connectivity solutions for each winner, as well as mentoring and support from Three Ireland’s in-house experts.
Padraig Sheerin, judge for Three Ireland’s Grants for Small Businesses programme and Head of SME, Three Ireland, said: “Three prides itself on supporting businesses big and small across Ireland to scale and innovate through our connectivity products and solutions.
“This unique programme enables small businesses to not only avail of funds but also to access a range of hands-on support and mentorship from Three business experts.
“Since Three launched this SME Grant Programme four years ago, we have seen incredible growth from winning businesses and we are so proud of the role we can play in supporting them as they scale.”
Previous winners of the programme include successful growing Irish businesses like Donegal based Pumpskynz which makes accessories for diabetes devices, and Galway-based accessible gaming specialists ByoWave.
Since being awarded a portion of the Three grant in 2021, Byowave have since scaled their business and have become an official partner with Microsoft.
They recently launched their Proteus Controller globally at Gamescom and Byowave have also received further investor funding of €1.5m and continue on their mission to make gaming accessible to all.
Three continues to support these businesses and is proud to announce that Niamh Tallon from Her Sport will also be part of the judging panel this year.
“Winning Three Ireland’s Grants for Small Businesses programme has been invaluable to us in boosting our growth journey,” Tallon said.
“The bursary and business support from Three has helped us to add people to our team, increase brand awareness through more publicity and ensured we have the right tech in place to thrive as a young business.
“I am honoured to be one of the judges this year on the programme as I know how it feels to start your own business and I cannot wait to be inspired by the next generation of businesses coming through the programme in 2024. I encourage all small businesses to enter.”
Sonya Lennon, judge for Three Ireland’s Grants for Small Businesses programme and Entrepreneur and Workplace Equality Advocate, said: “Extraordinary young companies get precisely what they need to mould themselves for success through this powerful programme each year.
“I’ve witnessed that growth in the years I have been involved. If ever there was a reason to apply for this competition, it’s the success of those who went before you.”
Photo: Niamh Tallon, founder of Her Sport and winner of the 2021 Three Ireland Grant; Michael O’Dea, Senior Development Advisor, High Potential Start-Ups, Enterprise Ireland; Sonya Lennon, Entrepreneur and Workplace Equality Advocate; Pádraig Sheerin, Head of SME, Three Ireland and Tara Elzingre, Ireland Local Leader at Enterprise Nation.