How the Programme Works
How the Progamme Works
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® community compete and win in difficult business and economic conditions, both domestically and globally. As Ireland strives to return to economic prosperity, it is the entrepreneurial community that will lead the way and be the beacons of our future economic growth.
Nominations
1. A nominee must be a founder/owner, primarily responsible for the recent performance of a company that is at least two years old. Founders of public companies are eligible, provided the founder is still active in top management. The nominee must own a minimum of 5% of the company to be eligible.
2. Anyone, including employees, company advisors and financiers, can nominate a successful entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs may nominate themselves and/or their peers.
3. Nominations can be submitted online at www.eoy2011.com or, alternatively, download a copy of our nomination form on www.eoy.ie and post to: The Entrepreneur Of The Year® Programme, Ernst & Young, Harcourt Centre, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2. Nominations must be received, along with all supporting documents, by Thursday 31 March 2011. For queries, contact Tim Harnedy of the Entrepreneur Of The Year® team on (01) 221 2409.
4. All financial information submitted is confidential and is viewed only by our independent judges.
Interviews
All nominees will be met and a report prepared and submitted to the judging panel. By mid-May, the judges will announce a shortlist of 24 finalists.
Winners Announcement
Winners across three categories will be announced at the gala awards ceremony in October 2011. The three categories are:
1. Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year®
2. Industry Entrepreneur Of The Year®
3. International Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Overall Winner
The judges select an overall winner from the three categories who will be announced as the 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year®. He or she is declared the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® for Ireland.
Special Award Winner
Each year a special award is presented to a person who has demonstrated entrepreneurial excellence outside of the traditional business arena. Previous winners are those who have contributed to Ireland socially, culturally and creatively. Previous honourees include Dr. Martin McAleese, John Rocha and Sean Kelly.
Judging Criteria
All the judges in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® programme are business people who have achieved success in their own right. Thus, all nominees are judged by their peers. Judging criteria include sustainability and growth in turnover and employee numbers, as well as vision, degree of innovation, creativity in production, marketing and selling, and expansion in local and international markets.
