The M50 provides access to more than shopping centres, sprawling suburbs and industrial estates. It also links three third-level colleges: Blanchardstown Institute of Technology, Tallaght Institute of Technology and Dublin City University.

The M50 Enterprise Platform Programme (M50 EPP) is a new collaborative effort between these colleges to assist graduates to establish new businesses. There are currently eight participants, six men and two women, availing of the programme. All aged under 35, they are not graduates fresh from college, but people who have been working as employees for some time after graduation.

The diversity of ideas among the participants is startling and not quite what you might expect from three colleges which are often seen as heavily techie. Maire Kearney, a communications graduate, has launched a video production company, Red Pepper Productions, and also already attained some commissions. She says: "I always wanted to work for myself but was scared to make the leap as my whole background was very far removed from the business world. The M50 EPP was an essential springboard for making the move from the PAYE sector to being self-employed."

Rachel O'Connell, a textile designer and weaver, is setting up a design and manufacturing business, with an emphasis on soft furnishing. Paul O'Reilly, a business graduate who worked in the food industry, is preparing a monthly publication and a website aimed at buyers and suppliers, which will carry intelligence reports on organic foods. John Kennedy is preparing a website, concentrating on rental accommodation. Initially the emphasis is on the student sector. Kennedy, a former president of the students union at Tallaght IT, brings a certain amount of insight to this. Other projects span the design of timberframe houses, waste management and software development.

All of the participants are graduates with a minimum standard of education at higher diploma level; many have master's degrees. The head of development at Blanchardstown IT, Tom Doyle, explains that participants are funded to the extent of £433 per month with the possibility of additional support from Enterprise Ireland's campus company CORD programme (a package of up to 50 per cent of current salary). The majority of this year's M50 EPP participants have secured this additional funding.

All programme participants are supplied with a hotdesk facility, so they have a business address, e-mail and telephone access, and some secretarial support. The programme is funded under the National Development Plan 2000-206.

Doyle says participants also receive 30 day's training. There are four modules: becoming an entrepreneur, planning the business, survival skills and start-up skills. The head of development and external affairs at Tallaght IT, Eamon Tuffy, says every participant has a mentor, who is matched to the business under development.

Participants are also encouraged to avail of the access to the varied expertise within the colleges. Tuffy says the flow of information can also be a reverse process. "A lot of students in third-level in Ireland think in terms of finding a job at the end of a course, rather than setting up in business. As soon as the media courses in Tallaght IT knew we had Marie Kearney (the communications graduate who has set up the production company) linked to the college, they asked her to come and give a talk to the students."

The funding and supports provided to the M50 EPP participants is for the period of one year. Doyle says this should be enough. "Within a year, the business concept should be tested. By then, they should know if they can run with it, if they need to change direction or if they should call it a day. Our experience of this programme (which started in February this year) is that people have developed their concepts further then we had expected. A number of them are already trading.

Tuffy adds that all of the ITs are developing incubator centres. "Some of the participants may choose to apply for accommodation at one of the three colleges. These incubator centres are designed to house start-up businesses. There's a time limit of three year's occupancy. After that, the business should be able to afford commercial rent."

Doyle says the M50 EPP participants recently made a formal presentation of their business plans. "What we saw in terms of entrepreneurial spirit would give you confidence in the future. It's very uplifting."

The M50 EPP programme has secured funding for three years, so in all a total of 30 participants should reap the rewards. Other EPP programmes are under way in DIT, Cork IT/UCC, Waterford IT/Carlow IT, Galway-Mayo IT, Limerick IT, and Dundalk IT.

The M50 EPP project is currently recruiting applicants for the next programme. Applicants need to have thought out their ideas to the extent that they can present market information and financial details.

Application forms and additional information is available on request. Contact the programme manager Paul Thompson, Institute of Technology, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Tel: (01) 404 2376; e-mail paul.thompson@it-tallaght.ie