Opportunities for start-ups:The deadline for The Irish Times Digital Challenge is approaching.

A wide range of digital start-up companies have already applied. For some this is an opportunity to make The Irish Times and companies in The Irish Times Group in to a first serious partner for their business.

For others it is an opportunity to use The Irish Times Group as a channel to customers and end-users. The group's web properties, which include Entertainment.ieand MyHome.ie, receive several million unique views a month.

Those selected to participate will begin with an eight-week period during which the start-ups learn how to work with The Irish Times, and vice versa.

NDRC LaunchPad will provide a structure to help keep focus the start-ups’ path to revenue. Legal and accounting support from Arthur Cox and KPMG will help put participating start-ups on a solid footing, and focus group support from market-research company Amárach will help the start-ups refine their offering for the market. Each start-up will receive €10,000 worth of marketing from The Irish Times, in addition to services and facilities at The Irish Times building.

Enterprise Ireland is also giving financial support. Each start-up will also get to pitch to tech media and investors at the Dublin Web Summit in October.

The Irish Times will not take equity in the start-ups’ businesses.

An overall winner will receive a €50,000 convertible loan note from DFJ Esprit. Apply at irishtimesidealab.comby June 1st.