Catalyst’s competition for aspiring entrepreneurs, INVENT, is officially open for 2025 applications with a top prize of £25,000 set to be claimed by the overall winner.
The independent, non-profit science and technology hub is hosting the competition in partnership with the Bank of Ireland, looking for early-stage startups and aspiring entrepreneurs to present their innovations to a panel of expert judges.
INVENT 2025 will work towards a finale awards ceremony held in the ICC Belfast on the 23rd October.
The awards have a total prize fund of £55,000 available, with each category winner securing £5,000 and the overall winner walking away with an additional £20,000.
There will also be an additional prize of £2,500, which will be awarded to the best student application in the competition.
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“The creative quality throughout entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland is continuing to soar, with new start-ups and big ideas coming to fruition every year,” said Claire Kelly, INVENT programme manager at Catalyst.
“We are delighted to launch INVENT 2025 and continue to shine a light on our brightest minds who could be the key to solving many real-world problems.
“Last year we refreshed our categories and got a whole host of new ideas through the competition, and so we are excited to build upon these and see what this year’s candidates bring to the table.”
Niall Devlin, head of business banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK, added: “Fostering entrepreneurship and celebrating innovation are at the core of our long-standing partnership with Catalyst.
“It’s why we’re pleased to renew our support for the INVENT programme which showcases what can be achieved when the right support is provided to enable entrepreneurs to learn, grow and develop.
“Bank of Ireland opened its first branch locally in 1825 and we have been supporting entrepreneurs and enterprises ever since.
“As we look to the future, we’re more focused than ever on creating the right conditions to enable local entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive.”
The competition will have six categories, with each providing a distinctive opportunity for a product or service to differentiate itself and capture the interest of key influencers and decision-makers in the region.
The categories are creative leisure, green horizons, future business, BioBreakthroughs, living well and uncharted ideas.