The students took part in the County Final on 12th March, held at the Sligo Park Hotel. An estimated 160 students from 12 schools participated in the annual programme locally.

The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices within local authorities across the country, saw over 30,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools take part during 2025/2026. 

The programme, the largest student start-up initiative in the country, supports students to create, design and market their own business, with the aim of progressing to the National Finals.

In the Junior Category, the student representing Sligo at the National Final is Peter Kilcullen of Chop Chop, from Coláiste Iascaigh, Easkey.

In the Intermediate Category, Kyle Derrig-Vaughan and Shay McClelland, of K&S Valeting, from Corran College, Ballymote will represent the county.

In the Senior Category, Sligo will be represented on 7^th May by Brandon Jordan, Eoghan McGuinness, and Philip Somers of Coastal Calendars, from Jesus and Mary Secondary School, Enniscrone.

Special guest at the Sligo Final included the Mayor of Borough District of Sligo MD Councillor Gino O’Boyle who stated:

The Student Enterprise Programme is one of the most important initiatives delivered by the Local Enterprise Offices across the country.  It plays a vital role in planting the seed of entrepreneurship in young people—encouraging creativity, innovation, teamwork, and problem‑solving.

Runner- Up Award Junior Category - 'Bubbleish Soap' (No image)

The local students will now compete against hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from across Ireland at the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals, taking place in the Mullingar Park Hotel on 7^th May.

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 500,000 students have taken part, learning key skills in creating, starting, and growing a business.

This year also saw the introduction of an additional category. The inaugural Student Enterprise Innovators of the Year Award, delivered in partnership with Microsoft, was presented during Local Enterprise Week. Five finalist teams from across the country, chosen from the Student Enterprise Programme, attended a special training, mentoring, and live pitch final at Microsoft Dream Space in Dublin.

The winners were Katie Lonergan and Saoirse Shanahan Roche of Access4All from Scoil Mhuire Greenhill, Carrick‑on‑Suir, County Tipperary. Their project created an application that helps people quickly check whether a shop, café, venue, or public space is accessible before visiting, offering clear and reliable information on features such as accessible parking, step‑free or ramped entrances, accessible toilets (including hoists and adult changing beds), along with user‑submitted suggestions and reviews.

The Student Enterprise Programme also offers an expanded range of online resources for 2025 / 2026 at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, including regular blogs and a full suite of resources for students and teachers. 

Further information on the Student Enterprise Programme is available at www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.