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Ten entrepreneurs from the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area have been shortlisted for this year's Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch, with the finalists now preparing to pitch their business ideas for the chance to secure investment. The local heat takes place this Monday 28 September, with the winner receiving £1,000 investment and a place at the regional final in November, where they will compete for a further £5,000.
At the local heat, finalists will pitch to a panel of judges from the local business and civic community. The shortlisted entrepreneurs in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area include Colette Fleming of Choppy Waters, which delivers open water training therapy as a form of mental health support; Ben O'Connor of FarmFlow, a mobile app which digitises agricultural tasks; Georgia Heaney of Breadly, an AI personal finance agent; Niall Brown of Inclusive Adventures, a community organisation which connects people through movement and shared experiences; and Ella Colgan of Hot Yoga with Ella, a heated yoga and wellness studio in Newcastle.
Other hopefuls include Sarah-Jane Mowbray of Silent Cuts, an inclusive social enterprise providing hairdressing for those with additional needs; Naser Patrick Jajani-Keenan of Co+, a sparkling coconut water energy drink brand; Conor Bradley of Learning Made Fun, which offers hands-on programmes, workshops and creative camps; Anthony Flanaghan of Katchup Ball Skills, which manufactures sports equipment; and Paul McCreey of Fibre UP, a high fibre soft drinks brand.
Councillor Philip Campbell, Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, congratulated all of the entrepreneurs who have been shortlisted for this year's local heat. "The quality and diversity of this year's entries highlight the wealth of entrepreneurial talent across the Newry Mourne and Down District Council area, and reaching the local final is a fantastic achievement in itself. The hardest part is often putting yourself out there so well done for having the confidence to do so!"
Cllr Campbell added: "We look forward to seeing the finalists bring their ideas to life and wish everyone taking part the very best of luck."
Last year's Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area winner was Ruchira Radhe Rangaprasad of Balantra, who secured a spot in the final with nutrition sachets designed to blend seamlessly into drinks, foods and routines. Ruchira went on to win the People's Choice Award after receiving the most public votes for her final pitch.
The winner of each local heat from Northern Ireland's 11 councils will go on to compete in The Ultimate Pitch regional final, taking place at Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy, Co. Derry, on Wednesday 18 November. The overall winner, who will receive the Go Succeed Ultimate Pitch Award, will also receive a prize package including a photography session supplied by Brian Thompson Photography, a podcast recording session supplied by Attention X Studio NI, membership of Toastmasters, and a media training session supplied by LK Communications.
Subcategory prizes will include the Go Succeed Social Impact Award, the Go Succeed Inclusive Entrepreneurship Award, the Go Succeed Rising Star Award for the most inspiring 16-25 year-old entrepreneur, and the Go Succeed People's Choice Award for the contestant with the most public votes, with each winner receiving £1,500 towards their business idea.
Go Succeed, www.go-succeed.com, is funded by the UK Government and delivered by Northern Ireland's 11 councils. The service supports entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses with easy-to-access advice, including mentoring, masterclasses, peer networks, access to grant funding and business planning, at every stage of their growth journey.
