President Mary McAleese has launched a competition to find two projects to help secure prosperity and jobs for Ireland.
“Your Country Your Call” was initiated by the president’s husband, Dr Martin McAleese, and is an online competition offering two winners a cash prize of €100,000. Both winning proposals will then be implemented with the support of an independent working group and with a development fund of up to €500,000 for each project.
The president is patron of the initiative. She said the winning projects might involve new ways of doing everyday things or might identify a completely new industry or service.
“The possibilities are open-ended, but the winning proposals should be game-changers with the potential to bring widespread and fundamental benefits right across the generality of Irish society,” she said.
The competition is governed by An Smaoineamh Mór - a company that has been set up with charitable status. It is chaired by former Bank of Ireland governor Dr Laurence Crowley, and directors include Martin Murphy of Hewlett Packard Ireland and Eugene McCague of Arthur Cox solicitors.
The judging panel will be chaired by former EU Commissioner David Byrne SC.
The initiative has raised some €2 million from companies and individuals and aims to raise more, but the list of donors will not be published until later this year, Dr Crowley said. Donors include companies and individuals with backgrounds in business, media, sport, education and government.
“What started out as a conversation among a small group of people has evolved to this great competition,” he said. “So many companies, organisations, government and individuals have given money, pro-bono services and all sorts of spontaneous assistance to make this competition a reality.”
A television advertising campaign will begin this weekend to encourage people to enter the competition. The closing date is April 30th.
Full details regarding the application process are available on www.yourcountryyourcall.com, along with a full list of selection criteria and application guidelines.
