In the current economic climate it is increasingly recognised that university research is a key national resource which will make a growing contribution to Ireland's competitiveness and sustained economic growth through the generation of innovative products and services. In this regard university start-up companies have a strategic role in building a thriving indigenous industry in Ireland.
NovaUCD is currently seeking applications for the 2009 Campus Company Development Programme (CCDP), its flagship enterprise support programme which commences in March. The NovaUCD CCDP has run annually since 1996 and since its inception over 140 projects and 210 individuals have completed the CCDP and former participants of the programme now collectively employ over 700 people. ASimil8 was the overall winner of the NovaUCD 2008 CCDP.
Participants on the NovaUCD 2008 CCDP
The aim of the NovaUCD CCDP is to assist UCD academic and research entrepreneurs in the establishment and development of knowledge-intensive enterprises to commercialise the output of their research and other innovative ideas. The Programme assists entrepreneurs in defining and developing their innovative ideas and preparing a detailed business plan.
The 2009 Campus Company Development Programme will contain a mix of practical training and consultancy support including 12 half-day workshops, one-to-one advice and consultancy meetings, and a series of networking events. Throughout the programme participants will be assisted in the development of a business plan by the CCDP team.
Projects participating on the programme will be assessed by an Evaluation Panel made up of representatives from NovaUCD’s network and sponsors, including Arthur Cox and Deloitte. Projects will be evaluated based on the progress made during the course of the programme through presentations made to the Panel at the beginning and end of the programme and on the business plan.
The CCDP will culminate in an awards evening which will be held on November 18 in the William Jefferson Clinton Auditorium. At this event each project will deliver an “elevator pitch” on their project to an audience which is made up of the NovaUCD network which includes venture capitalists and business angels. Each project which has completed the Programme will be presented with a Certificate. Three short-listed projects will present their business plans in more detail and an overall winner will be announced. Each of the three short-listed projects will receive a sculpture and a monetary award.
All workshop sessions will take in NovaUCD with workshop sessions starting at 8.30am and running until 12.30pm/1.00pm. The schedule of workshops for the 2009 programme can be seen in the table below:
| Workshop Number | Date | Workshop Topics |
|---|---|---|
| One | 24 March | CCDP Introduction, Business Plan Development, Building a Team |
| Two | 7 April | Initial Presentations to Evaluation Panel |
| Three | 21 April | Market Assessment and Marketing |
| Four | 12 May | Planning your Finances |
| Five | 26 May | Technology Validation and Intellectual Property |
| Six | 9 June | Funding your Business |
| Seven | 23 June | Selling your Product - The Customer Pitch and Marketing Strategy |
| Eight | 8 September | Managing your Finances |
| Nine | 22 September | Legal and Tax Issues |
| Ten | 6 October | Marketing Through the Web and PR for Start-Ups |
| Eleven | 20 October | Other Financial Issues and Valuation of Early Stage Companies |
| Twelve | 3 November | Final Presentations to Evaluation Panel |
For more information or for an application form please contact the programme co-ordinator, Dr Ciara Leonard, Project Manager, Enterprise Development, t: 716 3714 or e: ciara.leonard@ucd.ie