Crumlin entrepreneur makes ‘The Ultimate Pitch’

Winner of the local Antrim and Newtownabbey heat will progress to Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch Final

A Crumlin-based entrepreneur has wowed judges at the local Antrim and Newtownabbey Ultimate Pitch heat, securing their place in the regional final with his gamified app that aims to help children prepare for the transfer test.

Padraic Little secured £1,000 in investment to further develop the app SEAG Quest designed to add a fun and engaging layer to the SEAG study and exam, and a place in the regional Ultimate Pitch Final in November where they’ll pitch for an additional £5,000 to grow their budding business.

The pitching competition is organised by the government-backed enterprise support service, Go Succeed.

Padraic built the app after helping his own son prepare for the tests and realising the majority of existing resources were paper-based. The app is designed as a map, where the child gets to choose their character and move through various levels as they progress through the syllabus all the way to full exams.

They were among 10 entrepreneurs from across the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area to pitch at the local heat of Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch, held in the Theatre at the Mill.

Among them was Cara Quinn-McAllister, who received the Rising Star award for her plans to open a coffee cart and Anne Scott of NI Life Beyond Dementia who took home the Social Impact award.

The Deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Alison Bennington said:

“It’s fantastic to see so many local entrepreneurs taking the opportunity to showcase their ideas and businesses through Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch. Taking that first step can be one of the biggest challenges in entrepreneurship, which is why opportunities like this are so important.

“Well done to everyone who entered and made it to the local heat final, and congratulations to Padraic! We can’t wait to see what’s next at the final in November.”

Heat winners from each of Northern Ireland’s 11 councils will progress to The Ultimate Pitch regional final in Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy, Co. Derry on 18^th November.

The overall winner who will receive the Go Succeed Ultimate Pitch Award will also receive a prize package including a photography session supplied by Brian Thompson Photography, a podcast recording session supplied by Attention X Studio NI, membership of Toastmasters, and a media training session supplied by LK Communications.

Subcategory prizes will include the Go Succeed Social Impact Award, the Go Succeed Inclusive Entrepreneurship Award, the Go Succeed Rising Star Award for the most inspiring 16-25 year-old entrepreneur, and the Go Succeed People’s Choice Award for the contestant with the most public votes. Each winner will receive £1,500 towards their business idea.

Go Succeed (www.go-succeed.com) is funded by the UK Government and delivered by Northern Ireland’s 11 councils. The service supports entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses with easy-to-access advice and support – including mentoring, masterclasses, peer networks, access to grant funding and business planning – at every stage of their growth journey.