The Entrepreneurship Impact Fund – Strand 2: Youth Entrepreneurship Incubators 2025
Supporting Youth Entrepreneurship Incubators
The Entrepreneurship Impact Fund – Strand 2: Youth Entrepreneurship Incubators is a €600,000 two-year fund, which is supporting two organisations to run new or existing youth entrepreneurship incubators, supporting young people aged 16-25 to bring their social or environmental business ideas or social enterprise from concept to reality.
The fund was created in partnership with a private donor.
Awardees
SO Start - University of Galway
SO Start is a collaborative initiative led by the University of Galway’s IdeasLab, in partnership with GrowthHUB and TU Dublin, designed to expand access to early-stage entrepreneurship education through a dedicated focus on social innovation. Building on the nationally recognised Start100 and IVENtURe incubators, the programme will equip students and emerging entrepreneurs with the tools, networks, and confidence to develop impactful ventures that address real societal challenges.
“SO Start reflects the power of what’s possible when partnership, purpose, and belonging come together. This programme empowers future changemakers to lead with empathy and impact. Becoming part of the Rethink Ireland community strengthens our mission and connects us to a national network of innovators working to create a more inclusive, sustainable future.”
-Dr Natalie Walsh, Director of Entrepreneurial Development at the University of Galway.
Patch
Patch is Ireland’s leading incubator for young entrepreneurs, supporting 16–21 year-olds to turn ambitious ideas into impactful ventures. Since 2019, Patch has helped over 150 young people build startups, research projects, and non-profits through its flagship Summer Accelerator, Patch Grants, Builders programme, and a global Fellowship in San Francisco.
“Winning the Rethink Ireland Entrepreneurship Impact Fund will be transformational for Patch as we scale to support over 1,000 young people across Ireland. It will allow us to widen access, deepen our impact, and build the long-term infrastructure—mentorship, measurement, and strategy—we need to empower the next generation of Irish innovators to solve society’s biggest challenges.”
– Tom McCarthy, Founder & Board Chair
