About

What is New Frontiers?

New Frontiers is Ireland’s national entrepreneur development programme that is delivered at a local level jointly by the ATU’s Sligo & Letterkenny campuses. It is designed to help people who have an innovative business idea, to establish and run their own companies. It provides a package of supports to help accelerate business development and to equip start-ups with the skills and contacts needed to be successful future business leaders.

Who should apply?

This programme can help you if you:

  • Plan to build your business on a strong foundation of technology or knowledge.
  • Can demonstrate the capability and commitment needed to develop a sustainable business.
  • Are ambitious, intending that your enterprise will achieve turnover greater than €500,000 and create more than five jobs in three to five years time.
  • Can provide evidence of a commercial market for your proposed product or service.
  • Propose setting up an enterprise that is a manufacturing or internationally traded services business, or a new domestically traded service business with the potential to trade internationally.

The New Frontiers programme is open to applications from diverse sectors including: food & consumer products, information & communications technology, engineering & electronics, medical devices, biotechnology, pharma, digital media and eligible internationally traded services.

What does New Frontiers provide Entrepreneurs?

    • Training in all areas of business including financial management, market research & validation, business process, patenting, product development, sales training.
    • Mentoring from experienced business advisors and practitioners.
    • Office and other business incubation facilities.
    • €15,000 from Enterprise Ireland for individuals participating in Phase 2.
    • Networking with other entrepreneurs and business development agencies.
    • Introduction to seed and early stage capital investment networks.
    • Access to entrepreneurship best practice, both nationally and internationally.
    • Peer-group learning from participants in the region and across the country.
    • Access to the expertise in Enterprise Ireland’s  Market Research Centre.
    • Expertise from the Atlantic TU’s Sligo & Letterkenny Campuses and the supportive environment of their business incubation centres.
    • Dedicated Programme Manager.