Tipperary Entrepreneurs were to the fore at the 2019 Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards.
The event attracted 120 applications from across Ireland with twelve making it to the final stage and the opportunity to pitch for one of six places on the programme.
Winners of the prestigious awards included Tipperary companies Property Marking Ireland and JumpAgrade – who were both awarded a place on the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards Programme, worth €40 thousand euro..
James O’Neill founded Property Marking Ireland which is a community-led crime prevention initiative, using combined strategies to deter crime and reduce anxiety in communities over burglary.
The Kileanule based programme was Pilot tested over the past three years, and areas using the equipment saw a significant decline in property theft.
The machine works by etching the individuals unique Eircode onto the property which can be anything from a trailer or lawnmower to an iPad or computer.
The initiative hopes to reduce the level of property crime, reduce the fear of crime in rural and isolated areas, and increase the partnership between communities and An Garda Siochana.
Founder James O’Neill told Tipp FM news what this award means to him?
Fellow Tipp awardees David Neville and Padraic Hogan were also worthy winners on the night with JumpAGrade – which is an innovative online model for the provision of secondary school grinds.
They were awarded €20,000 in direct funding and €20,000 in non-financial supports.
Speaking to Tipp FM news David Neville explains how JumpAgrade works.
The SEI Awards programme identifies high-potential social entrepreneurs and supports them through significant funding and mentoring, as well as providing access to a network of support. Since its foundation in 2004, SEI has supported more than 300 social entrepreneurs, who in turn have impacted the lives of more than 1.7 million people across Ireland.
