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·        €10,000 prize for best start-up winner amongst the awards in this year’s competition
·        Applications open for this year’s Innovation Arena awards until 7^th June
·        Return of the ‘Agritech Hub’ at the Innovation Arena, a key exhibition platform at one of Europe’s largest outdoor events

Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena Awards will return to the 2024 National Ploughing Championships (NPC), and the competition is now open for entries.

The Innovation Arena, which is hosted in partnership with the National Ploughing Association (NPA), is an annual exhibition platform showcasing cutting-edge solutions from Irish agritech companies and innovators to thousands of visitors over the course of the three-day event.

Applications are now being accepted for this year’s Innovation Arena Awards, which will be held on the first day of the Championships, and entries are being invited from Irish-owned companies, research and academia, who have pioneering innovations with the potential to deliver solutions for the agriculture sector that could help to optimise and futureproof the industry.  Those who are successful in their submission will automatically be offered an exhibition spot within the Innovation Arena.

There will a number of awards in this year’s competition, with a focus on applications from start-up companies under five years old, and established companies that are focused on scaling and innovation. There will be an overall start-up award winner, who will receive a €10,000 prize as well as mentoring supports from specialist Enterprise Ireland advisors.

At this year’s Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena at the National Ploughing Championships, there will also be an opportunity for previous participants to apply for a space in the popular ‘Agritech Hub’.  This is an important exhibition space which gives Irish-owned agritech companies the opportunity to return to the NPC and display their progress to a varied audience, which also includes domestic and international visitors and buyers.