CORK, IRELAND—21 July 2026—JMS Dev Lab has opened applications for the founding cohort of the Awkward Idea Fellowship, a selective programme for people who understand a worthwhile problem but lack the technical background or conventional development budget to test a solution.
Two selected projects will each receive a structured problem workshop, customer-validation plan, technical feasibility assessment, up to 40 hours of focused development and six monthly advisory sessions. JMS Dev Lab values each fellowship at up to €6,000.
“Startup systems often reward people who already know how to sound like founders. We want to find people with difficult-to-copy knowledge of a real problem—even if they have never written a pitch deck or a line of code.”
The programme takes no equity in its 2026 pilot. Applicants do not need an incorporated company or pitch deck. Selection will be based on the severity of the problem, the applicant’s domain insight, evidence of need, willingness to test assumptions, achievable scope and safety.
Rather than awarding places through a public vote or pitch performance, shortlisted applicants will speak with prospective users and report what contradicted their assumptions. Finalists will then complete a practical problem-working session with JMS Dev Lab.
The fellowship complements Irish startup and enterprise supports by concentrating on an earlier gap: making an idea testable before conventional investment-readiness. Suitable applicants may also be directed toward Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland, NDRC or specialist programmes.
Applications close at 23:59 Irish time on 30 September 2026. Selection is expected during October, with the two projects beginning work in November.
About JMS Foundry
JMS Foundry is an initiative of Cork-based software studio JMS Dev Lab. Its purpose is to back overlooked expertise by giving capable, non-technical people access to product thinking and technical leverage.
Applications and press contact
Programme and application: jmsdevlab.com/fellowship/
Press enquiries: [email protected]
Media kit: jmsdevlab.com/press