Entrepreneurs across Ireland have just two weeks left to enter the eighth annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards.

Entrepreneurs can submit their own entry by the closing date of April 1st or be nominated by a person associated with their business. There are three different categories of entry, Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year, Industry Entrepreneur of the Year and International Services Entrepreneur of the Year.

Interviews will take place during April and May with reports submitted to the independent judging panel, chaired by Esat founder and the 1998 Entrepreneur of the Year, Denis O'Brien, by the end of May. The shortlist will be announced in June and finalists will be profiled in The Irish Times and on RTÉ.

The 2005 finalists will also participate in a number of summits and retreats involving finalists from similar competitions around the globe, including a retreat for chief executives due to take place in Boston in July.

"This five-day trip provides the perfect opportunity for Ireland's entrepreneurs to take a look at the bigger picture of business," according to Enda Kelly of Ernst & Young.

"Finalists attend intensive tutorials about global competitive advantage from two of the world's leading business thinkers, Professor Joe Lassiter III of Harvard Business School and Professor Ken Morse, MIT Entrepreneurship Centre."

The overall Irish winner will join winning entrepreneurs from all over the world for the World Entrepreneur of the Year competition in Monte Carlo next year.

Aside from Mr O'Brien, the panel of judges includes: Mr Peter Fitzgerald of Antrim-based Randox Laboratories and the winner of last year's competition; Mr Gerry McCaughey of Century Homes, who recently sold his timber frame home manufacturing business to Kingspan for €98 million and Mr Pat McDonagh, founder of Riverdeep and Master Entrepreneur of the Year 2002.