Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/East Carlow, Andrew Doyle, has welcomed the launch of a new €10million initiative to support more start-up businesses as part of the Government’s Regional Action plan for Jobs.
“The objective of these particular funds is to bring forward bottom up local projects and to create fresh collaborative approaches to boost enterprise and job creation at a regional and local level.
“In Wicklow we have a wealth of local and community organisations and alliances that have the potential to contribute to enterprise development and job creation, for example, through the development of enterprise hubs, enterprise centers and enterprise space, networks, clusters and other partnerships and by encouraging and facilitating an entrepreneurial culture, mentoring and training on starting a business. This will lead to extra start-ups, better survival rates and faster scaling among small businesses” Doyle said
To support local economies, a stimulus package of €250m was announced in February to accelerate regional recovery and this initiative is the first part of that funding – €5m for collaboration by the Local Enterprise Offices on regional-specific initiatives and €5m, available through Enterprise Ireland, for new and existing business or community groups to collaborate on projects which will strengthen the job creation potential of their region,.”
“Local organisations, institutions and individuals across Wicklow are already collaborating on new plans to create jobs or enterprise hubs for their regions. You can now apply for funding to turn those ideas into new businesses .This is a real opportunity to grow jobs locally.”
“I encourage people in every town and village of Wicklow to consider whether they can work with other groups in their area to develop projects that could be funded through these schemes. The closing date for applications is 6pm, Friday, 10th July 2015” Concluded Doyle
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Further information about the €5million Community Enterprise Initiative, together with application forms will be available at www.enterprise-ireland.com/communityenterpriseintiative
These two funds are part of the €250m Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative announced in February 2015 aimed at accelerating economic recovery in every part of the country. The objective of these particular funds is to bring forward bottom up local projects and to create fresh collaborative approaches to boost enterprise and job creation at a regional level throughout Ireland.
Regional, local and community organisations and alliances have the potential to contribute to enterprise development and job creation, for example, through the development of enterprise hubs, enterprise centres and enterprise space, networks, clusters and other partnerships and by encouraging and facilitating an entrepreneurial culture, mentoring and training on starting a business. This will lead to extra start-ups, better survival rates and faster scaling among small businesses.
The economic impact of the scheme over the 3 year period will be to leave enhanced infrastructural support, dynamic, innovative and collaborative networks and an acceleration of employment and start-ups in local areas and across the regions.
€5million LEO Fund
A €5m fund is being made available to enable the 31 LEOs to fund initiatives focused on clearly defined opportunities, weaknesses or business challenges impacting on micro-enterprise locally, regionally and nationally in order to grow and sustain employment and scale micro-enterprise. Collaboration on initiatives between two or more LEOs from within the network of 31 LEOs is essential.
The €5m fund will cover the period 2015 – 2017 of which €500,000 will be available in 2015 with the balance expended over remaining period and applicant LEOs can apply for a maximum of €250,000 per project.
Projects
Priority will be given to new approaches that build on, and strengthen, the entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout the country and an innovative approach to stimulating ‘best practice’. A prerequisite for proposals is the need to demonstrate innovative solutions to fostering and creating employment. Proposed projects will not replicate existing programmes or schemes.
Illustrative examples of eligible initiatives include but are not limited to the following:
· Procurement: Improving the procurement capability of micro-enterprise via initiatives to upskill and upscale;
· Sectoral development: Networking, and building capability within microenterprise to pursue sectoral opportunities;
· Entrepreneurship and start-up creation: Promoting entrepreneurship and start-up creation in-line with Government policy
Objectives
In-line with the national remit of LEOs, the specific objectives of this fund are:
· To strengthen microenterprise locally, regionally and nationally in order to create jobs, grow enterprise and support the progression of clients to EI;
· To foster collaboration, networking and a joined up approach to national, regional and local micro-enterprise capability building, growth and job creation;
· To achieve additional job creation and enterprise growth through connecting the 31 LEOs regionally and nationally;
The economic impact of the €5 million competitive LEO fund will be measured by:
· Number of new jobs created (Jobs sustained; new jobs in start-ups; new jobs in existing businesses);
· An increase in the capability of microenterprise sector locally, regionally and nationally;
· New clients progressing to Enterprise Ireland.
€5million Community Enterprise Initiatives Fund
The overarching goal of the Fund is to stimulate and support enterprise and job creation at a local, community and regional level. The competitive call for applications is open to new and existing organisations, groups and alliances, who collaboratively seek to promote entrepreneurship, create jobs, foster innovation and enhance export opportunities for small business. A prerequisite for proposals is the need to demonstrate innovative solutions to fostering and creating employment. Priority will be given to new approaches that strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Rationale
Regional and local community groups and alliances have the potential to contribute to enterprise development and job creation through the development of enterprise hubs, enterprise centres and enterprise space, networks, clusters and other alliances and by encouraging and facilitating an entrepreneurial culture. The Government’s Community Enterprise Initiative will act as a catalyst to bring local, community and regional groupings together to form such alliances.
Context
The Community Initiatives Fund is competitive scheme open to proposals from new and existing organisations and groups with innovative ideas to create jobs, promote entrepreneurship, boost innovation and promote exports. A prerequisite of this scheme is to build on, and take full advantage of infrastructure, investment and supports already made by various enterprise partners such as the LEOs, EI, the Community Enterprise Centres, Skillnets, Chambers of Commerce, ETBs, HEIs, Local Development Companies as well as private sector entities in a collaborative and networked manner.
Objectives of the Community Enterprise Initiative Scheme (2015 -2017)
The overarching goal of the €5m Community Enterprise Initiative is to stimulate and support enterprise and job creation throughout the country at local, community and regional level. Through the utilisation of existing infrastructure and the leveraging of nationally available enterprise supports, the specific objectives of the scheme include:
· Fostering an increased collaborative, networked and linked approach to regional and local enterprise development and job creation
· Establishment of hubs, accelerators, networks and clusters or other partnerships based on regional strengths, opportunities and uniqueness. Within this is the establishment of partnership activities where innovative start-ups can be established in a supportive network before graduating to other support mechanisms or self-sufficiency
· Proactively seeking out, encouraging and supporting applications from economically disadvantaged areas and areas facing potential economic shock to foster potential opportunities for job creation and supporting enterprise
· Promotion of a progression pathway for companies as they start, develop and scale.