TWO Fermanagh businesses were in the W5, Belfast on Tuesday, pitching their innovative products to an audience of 200 guests at the Northern Ireland Science Park’s CONNECT INVENT 2014 competition.

Tempo-based Green Sword - established by David Moorhead - was successful in reaching the next stage of the competition. David’s company has developed microbial solutions with powerful cleaning and remediation powers which meet the most stringent of environmental standards and can be used to clean oil contaminations.

David will now take part in a unique six month programme which will see his idea challenged, refined and cultivated in order to launch a successful start-up business. David and the other finalists will then pitch their business plans to a panel of experts in September and the overall winner will be announced at a gala awards showcase in Belfast on October 2.

Enniskillen-based Donor2Deed was established by Olivia Cosgrove, who did not get past the ‘quick-pitch’ stage on Tuesday. It is an online fundraising and communications tool that uses Google Maps to enable charities and non-profits be more transparent to their donors.

Speaking after the event, Mr. Moorhead tells The Impartial Reporter: “I couldn’t believe it. The competition was very high and the judging panel consisted of leaders in industry.” His product was up against a solar energy generating window blind and an “induction loop” system that transmits sounds to the smart phones of people who are hard of hearing via WiFi through a low latency and high quality connection.

He explains that the judging panel questioned Green Sword’s environmental credentials and he was able to tell them that the formulations use natural cultures to develop a natural water based product which has achieved 98-99 per cent biodegradability and is tested safe to use in soil and marine environments under international certification testing.

He adds: “The product is supplied to public and private sector in Northern Ireland as an oil degrader to breakdown oil spills in scrapyards and a truck wash to clean a local council’s vehicle fleet. The oil degrader has been successfully trialled by a large oil service company operating in the Middle East to clean oil contaminations.” Mr. Moorhead is currently working on finalising patents and is in negotiations with various companies which have shown an interest in his cleaning products. In the meantime, he will begin the six month training programme.

“I am looking forward to the challenge; there’s nothing else for it,” Mr. Moorhead says. “Hopefully it will help my business move forward quicker. You can make a product and just sell it locally but I want to gorw and access bigger markets.” Ms. Cosgrove was disappointed but reports that Donor2Deed “is progressing well”. Donor2Deed has worked with organisations in the US, UK and Europe contributing to campaigns that have raised over £66 million e.g. Digicel, owned by Denis O’Brien. Ms. Cosgrove explains that the business “now wants to work with companies who support charities who want to encourage their employees to give and to show their customers and stakeholders the difference they make”.

NISP CONNECT Programme Manager Peter Edgar stated: “It is not far-fetched to say these companies have global potential.

“Previous winners of this competition and NI Science Park companies are doing business with the likes of Amazon and Ebay, and several of our local software engineering and life and health science start-ups have seen investment and buyouts by massive international companies.