Aspiring Louth entrepreneurs encouraged to join New Frontiers startup programme

Aspiring entrepreneurs with an innovative business idea are being invited to take their first step into startup life by applying for Phase 1 of Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers Programme at Dundalk Institute of Technology’s Regional Development Centre and DCU Innovate.

New Frontiers is the nationwide programme for ambitious startup founders with an innovative business idea that has the potential to scale and provide employment. The programme will equip participants with the right connections, skills, and the right route to capital in order to build a successful and sustainable startup business.

The programme is open to early-stage founders who are new to business, have experience in a completely different industry, or haven’t yet successfully built or scaled a business. Anyone with a business idea ready to be explored, validated, and shaped into a real opportunity is invited to apply before 14 January 2026. Whether at an early idea stage or looking to test the commercial potential of an existing concept, Phase 1 provides the structure, support, and expert guidance needed to take that crucial first step.

The six-week programme, commencing on 27 January 2026, will run over two evenings per week. 

Throughout the course, participants will:

• Research and test the market potential of a business idea
• Evaluate and refine a business concept
• Dive deep into customer needs
• Identify your value proposition

One former participant, Ciara McEnteggart, originally from Ardee, Co. Louth, has come full circle through the programme. After joining New Frontiers at DkIT’s RDC, Ciara is now based there with her business, the PBBT Institute, which delivers professional psychotherapy training to clinicians worldwide using a science-based approach focused on lasting behavioural change.

“I applied to New Frontiers because I wanted to refine our business idea and make sure we were building something that truly meets the needs of our customers,” according to Ciara. 

Although she had a strong background in therapy and research, Ciara knew she needed to strengthen her business acumen and areas like strategy, marketing, and financial planning.

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Ciara went on to complete all three phases of the programme, describing the experience as transformative. “It gave me the structure and space to properly develop the business, and the support from mentors and fellow participants was fantastic. It made me think differently, not just as a therapist or academic, but as a business owner and entrepreneur.”

Ciara and her team are now developing digital learning products to make high-quality psychotherapy training more accessible and flexible, with a focus on supporting therapists globally, particularly in regions where mental health services are limited. “Ultimately, we want to contribute to addressing the global mental health crisis by equipping therapists with the tools they need to create meaningful, lasting change.”

Applications for Phase 1 close on 14 January 2026.

Learn more about New Frontiers or Apply now
For further information or queries, reach out to Programme Manager April Mc Crave at newfrontiers@dkit.ie