TU Dublin Enactus Society Achieves Top 20 Enactus UK & Ireland Ranking for social impact and innovation
TU Dublin's Enactus Society has earned a place among the Top 20 teams in the highly competitive Enactus UK & Ireland World Cup Qualifier, celebrating their commitment to using business and innovation to create a better world all. Their three shortlisted projects: Re-fridge, Football for Grief, and EcoSortX, demonstrate the potential for student-led initiatives to create real-world impact, aligning with Enactus's mission to enable progress through entrepreneurial action.
The Society's achievement in securing their place in the Top 20 teams in the UK & Ireland, underscores the groups ability to develop and execute innovative projects that address pressing social and environmental issues using a clear ethos of ‘business for good’.
Their dedication to creating sustainable solutions, including projects: tackle many of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:
- No poverty (SDG 1),
- Zero hunger (SDG 2),
- Good health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Quality education (SDG 4),
- Responsible consumption and production (SDG 12)
- and Partnerships for the goals (SDG 17)
Speaking of their multi awarding wining projects, Chair of Enactus TU Dublin, Ethan Levins, said: Our projects—EcoSortX, ReFridge, and Football for Grief—are already making a difference, and we’re excited for what’s ahead. They tackle e-waste recycling, food insecurity, and grief support through football communities. Being recognised in multiple competitions highlights the real-world impact of our work.
Speaking of their pathway to success Vice Chair of Enactus TU Dublin, Giada Franzolini, said: At the beginning of the year, we had three main goals: to create meaningful social initiatives, to reach the top 20 in the UK and Ireland competition, and to bring together a team of ambitious young minds who could drive Enactus TU Dublin forward. Seeing what we have achieved so far, I believe we are well on our way to making that vision a reality.
Beyond the Enactus UK & Ireland competition, these Enactus projects have also been recognised in other major competitions including:
- EcoSortX, participated in the Bolton Trust / TU Dublin Student Enterprise Competition, one of Ireland’s largest student enterprise competitions. The project is an e-waste recycling marketplace, helping people trade or recycle their electronic waste, extending the lifecycle of electronics, and reducing environmental impact.
- ReFridge won second place in the Sodexo Stop Hunger Ireland Competition. The project addresses food insecurity and food waste by providing free food to students through a collaboration with FoodCloud, operating a food bank at TU Dublin.
- Football for Grief is currently in the top 5 for the R&Co4Generations Action4Impact Project Incubator. This initiative builds support structures within football communities to help individuals coping with grief, using sport as a tool for mental well-being.
TU Dublin is committed to nurturing a culture of innovation and social responsibility. The success of the Enactus Society serves as a testament to the university's dedication to empowering students to make a meaningful contribution to society and develop the essential competencies for the next generation of sustainability-focused leaders.
Speaking of support for the initiative, Head of GROWTHhub Paul O’Reilly said: GROWTHhub is delighted to have been able to support the TU Dublin Enactus team. Enactus is a fantastic global programme that gets students to focus their creativity to develop initiatives that can deliver significant social impact. The TU Dublin Team has worked very hard to develop three excellent initiatives and they are going to be very competitive when they get to the final in London.
TU Dublin Enactus Faculty Advisor, Dr Lucia Walsh commended the team saying: TU Dublin Enactus students are true change-makers who embody the spirit of Enactus - through entrepreneurial thinking and teamwork, they drive meaningful change, turning ideas into action for a better world for all. Their compassion, entrepreneurial leadership and drive to create positive social impact make them role models and an inspiration to their peers. Supporting their growth and witnessing their impact is an honour.
Please join us in wishing the team the best of luck as they prepare to present their projects to a panel of business leaders at the Excel Centre in London on 07 April for the next stage of the competition. Follow their journey to the World Cup Qualifier, on Instagram - TU Dublin Enactus.