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New Frontiers Programme

New Frontiers

New Frontiers Programme at NovaUCD with Media Cube IADT

New Frontiers is a national entrepreneur development programme supported by Enterprise Ireland. The IADT Media Cube and NovaUCD delivered New Frontiers programme is aimed at supporting entrepreneurs in the South Dublin, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and North Wicklow areas.

The programme is designed to provide a comprehensive set of business development mentoring supports as well as funding support to participants. It is the ultimate support to help you to develop your business idea into a successful start-up enterprise with the potential to scale internationally.

Upcoming programmes

Applications are now open for the New Frontiers Phase 1 Programmes programme being delivered by IADT Media Cube and NovaUCD.

Do you have an innovative business idea that you believe has the potential to scale and provide employment? Phase 1 will help you to research and test the market potential of your business idea. These weekend and evening workshops will provide information and general start-up training, allowing you to evaluate if your idea can be turned into a viable proposition.

Phase 1 is:

  • a short, part-time programme designed to help you to research and test the market potential of your business idea.
  • run two evenings a week over a period of six weeks, or over two bootcamp weekends.
  • covering topics such as business planning, strategy, marketing and pitching.
  • a great introduction if you are considering Phase 2.

Who should apply?

New Frontiers is designed for entrepreneurs who have an innovative business idea and plan to establish and run their own company in Ireland. The business must have the potential to scale internationally and generate employment.

The Programme is open to business ideas from a range of sectors including food and consumer products; information and communication technology; engineering and electronics; medical devices; biotechnology; pharma; digital media; cleantech/renewable energy; eligible internationally traded services. Places on all phases of New Frontiers are assigned through a competitive process.

The new frontiers programme is divided into three discrete phases

Phase 1 aims to establish if your idea can be turned into a feasible business proposition.

It is a part-time evening (Tuesday & Thursday) ORweekend programme (Friday evening/ Saturday & Sunday). This provides information and general start-up training which helps you to validate the market viability of your business idea.

We are running two Phase 1 Programmes in 2025.

Phase 1 Programme A: Evening Midweek
Tuesday & Thursday evenings, 6-9pm from 14th October to 20th November 2025

Phase 1 Programme B: Weekend Bootcamp
Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday, from 28th November to 7th December 2025.

The call for applications for both 2025 programmes is now open.

Phase 2 is a six-month intensive programme which requires a full-time commitment.

  • Training in all areas of business including financial management, market research & validation, business modelling, patenting, product development, marketing and sales.
  • Mentoring from experienced business advisers and practitioners.
  • Office space in the Media Cube or NovaUCD.
  • €15,000 seed funding stipend to cover full-time participation in the six-month course.
  • Networking with other entrepreneurs and business development agencies.
  • Introductions to seed and early stage capital investment networks 
  • Peer-group learning from participants in the region and across the country.
  • Access to the expertise in Enterprise Ireland through their Market Information Centre.
  • Expertise from Academic staff of IADT and UCD and support from our dedicated New Frontiers team.

Our 2025 Phase 2 Programme is running from April to September 2025.

Phase 3  gives participants the opportunity to grow their business, their customer base and to generate more sales. Businesses emerging from Phase 2 can apply to participate in Phase 3 of the Programme.

During this phase, participants will focus on implementing their Business Plan by bringing their product/service to market and preparing to acquire further funding.

How to apply

(opens in a new window)Click here for further information on the New Frontier Programmes (Phase 1, 2 and 3) delivered by IADT Media Cube in partnership with NovaUCD. 

If you have any queries please contact  (opens in a new window)newfrontiers@iadt.ie.

michelle_doyle

For further information please contact:

Michelle Doyle
Senior Manager, Strategic Innovation Partnerships

michelle.doyle@ucd.ie

NovaUCD

Belfield Innovation Park, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 3700 | E: innovation@ucd.ie