The Regional Finals of Junior Achievement’s Company of The Year Competition is sponsored by the Chartered Accountants Ireland; sixty budding teenage entrepreneurs took part in Regional Finals all across the county.

2500 students nationwide participated in the Company of the year Competition. Two winning secondary school teams from each region go through to the National Final on 1^st and 2^nd of May and the ultimate prize is winning the JA European Company Competition in London, England in July 2013.

There were three awards in total presented at each Regional Final:

Leinster:

The Finance Award, presented by Colm Malone, Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society, was won by St. Mary’s Secondary School, New Ross, Co. Wexford with their company ‘EVIDE’ .

Two Leinster Regional winners were announced by Kevin Leonard, European Insurance Manager, CIT and Helena O’Malley, Quality Systems Manager, Xilinx.

Athlone Community College, Co. Westmeath took one place with their innovative product ‘Word Bank’ a word/picture book for autistic children and from Ardscoil Na Trionoide, Athy, Co. Kildare with their company ‘Clink N' Light’ a portable light device for changing your car tyre, took the other place.

Munster:

The Finance Award, presented by Brian O'Leary, Chartered Accountants Ireland Munster Society, was won by De La Salle, Co. Waterford with their company ‘Retrack’.

Two Munster Regional winners were announced by Denise Mangan-Fahy, Vice President, Engine Management at GE Capital Aviation Services and Frank Buckley, Director of Resource Planning Management at RCI.

Salesian Secondary College, Sligo took one place with their innovative product ‘F.A.R.M’ a cow tail lifter and from C.B.S. Carrick on Suir, Tipperary with their company ‘RDF Wood Enterprise’, various wooden products.

Connaught:

The Finance Award, presented by Garrett McCarty, Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society, was won by St. Columba's College, Co. Donegal with their company ‘Key'd In’.

Two Connaught Regional winners were announced by Dolores McDonagh Community and Enterprise, Sligo County Council, Emer Conroy from LoutusWorks and Vivienne Galvin Abbott Ireland, MY HR Team.

St. Columba's College, Co. Donegal took one place with their product ‘Bright Sparks’ a science pack for primary school students  and from Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal with their company ‘Number Ninjas’ a Junior Cert revision book to help with maths.

Border Counties:

The Finance Award, presented by Colm Malone Chartered Accountants Ireland, Leinster Society, was won by Loreto College, Cavan, with their company ‘Go Global’.

Two Border County Regional winners were announced by Beech Hill College, Co. Monaghan took one place with their product ‘Pop Up Doll House’ a dolls house that can be designed and made by children and Loreto College, Cavan, with their company ‘Go Global’ wrist bands with universal symbols to help tourists when abroad.

Junior Achievement is a non-profit organisation working as a partnership between the business community and the education sector, providing a range of enterprise programmes to young people aged 5 – 18 years. The twin aims of Junior Achievement are to teach enterprise and life skills to young people and to target those at risk of early school leaving. In the 2012/13 school year 70,000 young people will benefit from a JA programme.