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www.ait.ie/innovAIT

InnovAITEntrepreneurship Academy

Have you the desire, passion and ambition to develop your own business? Do you want to make your ideas a commercial reality?

Do you want to create real value, change people’s lives, provide and sustain employment?

If so – and you hold a degree (Level 7 or above) in any discipline – InnovAIT, the Entrepreneurship Academy at Athlone Institute of Technology may be for you.

InnovAIT will provide graduates with the opportunity to develop their business idea or enhance an existing business. This will take place in a partnership context with academic staff and successful entrepreneurs from both the academic and private sectors. Participants will receive a toolkit to succeed in any business, large or small, for profit or not for profit, domestic or global.

As a participant in the academy, you will be allocated at least two mentors, who will provide advice, assistance and guidance. Academic mentors will have an industry background, while the industry mentors will have executive

management experience and/or start-up business experience.

A unique aspect of InnovAIT is that while you develop the skills and know-how to start your own business, you will also acquire an academic qualification in the Higher Diploma in Entrepreneurship (Level 8).

A prize fund is available for the best businesses emerging from InnovAIT. €25,000 is available for the best High Potential Start-up (HPSU) company, while €5,000 is available for the best non-HPSU company.

Midlands Innovation and Research Centre, AIT www.ait.ie/innovAIT

On the HDip in Entrepreneurship, you will benefit from a rich learning experience with the focus on ‘learning by doing’ through project-based learning. The programme focuses on the professional development of the entrepreneur, as well as on the technical skills/knowledge to enable participants to successfully build their business while responding to challenges in a highly dynamic business environment.

The professional development element of the programme is focused on building awareness around the entrepreneurial journey and the professional challenges in developing a successful enterprise. The ‘Business Model Generator’ – developed by Stanford University and entrepreneur Steve Blank – will provide a framework for your professional development.

The technical development element of the programme will introduce you to key concepts, models and frameworks to professionally develop your business proposition to a high standard which is ‘investor ready’. The ‘Business Model Canvas’ will provide the framework for the technical development.

The primary method of content delivery is through workshops over a 25-week period. These workshops will be three hours in duration and will focus on themes such as:

• the entrepreneurial mindset;• entrepreneurial strategy and business model

development;• innovation and creativity;• marketing strategy;• operations and lean start-up;• entrepreneurial finance;• the pitch – selling your business idea; and• the business plan.

The majority of the workshops will be delivered by AIT faculty, and will be complemented by guest lectures/talks/presentations/Q&A from selected state and local support bodies and a panel of successful entrepreneurs drawn from different industry sectors. The guest lectures will include business angel groups and venture capital firms.

In addition to workshops, a number of one-on-one (unique company/client) mentoring sessions will be provided. These mentoring sessions will be approximately up to 2 hours per week, delivered by both AIT staff and external mentors with appropriate expertise and business experience.

www.ait.ie/innovAIT

Higher Diploma in Entrepreneurship

InnovAITEntrepreneurship Academy

Higher Diploma in Entrepreneurship

InnovAITEntrepreneurship Academy

InnovAITBusiness SchoolAthlone Institute of TechnologyDublin RoadAthloneCo Westmeath

Email innovAIT@ait.ieWeb www.ait.ie/innovAIT