(Pictured: Left to Right: Owen Laverty, LEO Dún Laoghaire Rathdown; Terri Moloney, Dublin Regional Skills / Enterprise Ireland; Mary Mac Sweeney, Dublin City Council; Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Caroline Power, Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan)

ENFUSE 2024, Open for Applications: Transform Your Business with Innovative Solutions!

The open call for businesses to apply to ENFUSE 2024 was officially launched by Minister Simon Coveney at the Building Better Business event in Dublin on the 7th December. 

Led by Dublin City Council and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) in Dublin, the pioneering and award winning programme ENFUSE, connects local enterprises and social enterprises with Master’s level university and college students. As part of a module, students work in teams to conduct research and ultimately provide bespoke plans for participant businesses. The plans set out innovative solutions for addressing challenges and developing opportunities. 

Student teams can assist across a spectrum of areas, including: Strategy, Marketing, Digital Marketing, Design Thinking, Innovation, Digital Transformation, Project Management, Internationalisation, Tourism / Hospitality / Event Development, New Product / Service Development, Business / Market Development, Finance, Data Analysis, Machine Learning, and more.

Commenting as he officially launched ENFUSE 2024, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney TD stated, “ENFUSE is a catalyst for growth, recognising the diverse needs of enterprises and the talents of students. Built on collaboration and innovation, it is a tangible, tailored and direct support that can help businesses identify and respond to challenges that they face.”

Now in its sixth year, the programme takes place during semester 2, from January to May, as part of a module where students apply their learning to gain real-world experience. Masters level students from Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), Dublin City University (DCU), National College of Ireland (NCI), University College Dublin (UCD), and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) will collaborate with and support local enterprises using their module learning and skills. The students will provide insights, propose innovative solutions, and ultimately deliver a customised, tangible plan. 

ENFUSE is collaboratively supported by numerous stakeholders and contributes to the implementation of various policies and strategies. In alignment with the Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024, ENFUSE empowers enterprises by offering bespoke solutions that drive innovation, overcome challenges, and uncover new avenues for growth. It also promotes the various LEO employment grants and Enterprise Ireland’s Gradstart to participant enterprises in regard to employing students or internship opportunities as a follow on. In partnership with the Dublin Regional Skills, a key focus is also to equip students with industry relevant skills and enrich their learning experience by providing them with invaluable real-world experience. 

Highlighting the benefits of ENFUSE, Mary Mac Sweeney, Dublin City Council explained, “ENFUSE enables businesses to join forces with master's level students. It bridges education and enterprise development, creating a win-win situation for all involved. Businesses benefit from new ideas, research and a tangible plan while students benefit from real world experience.” 

For more information and to apply to participate in ENFUSE 2024, visit the page on the LEO Dublin City website: ENFUSE