A local business, WeSolve Ltd from Beech Tree Business Park, Weir Road, Tuam has been shortlisted for the ‘Your Business on Irish TV’ competition, which gives small businesses the opportunity to get their products on television for the first time.
The competition has a €60,000 prize fund and is a joint initiative between Shopping from Home, a home shopping series aired on RTÉ, and the County and City Enterprise Boards. WeSolve Ltd. which is run by Michael Gallagher was nominated by the Galway County & City Enterprise Board.
In all, 20 small businesses from around the country have been short-listed for the six top prizes, which are monthly presentation packages on Shopping from Home worth €10,000 each. The 20 finalists are all award-winning Irish businesses in their own right, which have been nominated by their local county and city enterprise board.
The judging process to select the final six begins next week and the winners are expected to be announced in the middle of August. Screentime ShinAwil, the production company behind The Apprentice, MasterChef Ireland, Dragons’ Den and The Voice, will film the first presentation in August, which will then be beamed into thousands of Irish households on RTÉ One from September 1.
Breda Fox from the Galway County and City Enterprise Board said: “Getting their products and services in front of consumers can open new doors for small businesses, giving them access to new marketplaces.
“This kind of unique opportunity can help small businesses grow and expand, potentially leading to job creation locally. We’d like to wish Mike and the We Solve team the very best of luck in the judging process in the weeks ahead. ”
The six winning companies will have their products featured on the home shopping series for one month, with a new winner being featured each month. The package includes 45 minutes of broadcasting for the month including free filming and post production as well as national and regional PR and social media support.
The winning companies will also be provided with a broadcast quality website link to upload their footage onto their website and a DVD to allow them showcase their products at exhibitions or trade fairs in the future.
Shopping from Home was first broadcast in 2010 and is screened on RTE One television at 7.30am- 8.00am Monday to Sunday.
The ‘Your Business on Irish TV’ competition is a joint initiative from Shopping from Home and the County and City Enterprise Boards. The six prizes carry an individual value of €10,000. The winning presentations will be broadcast from September 2012 until February 2013.
