Cecilia Keaveney
Question:37 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the incentives available to develop enterprise units; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13948/02]
Written Answers. - Community Enterprise Centres.
The recently announced community enterprise centre scheme, to be administered by Enterprise Ireland, replaces the Enterprise Ireland community enterprise centre scheme which dated back to 1989, under which circa £6 million had been committed in supporting 63 community based enterprise centre developments nationally.
The new scheme provides funding of €8 million over the next two years, to support community based small business initiatives. The scheme will provide infrastructural facilities to support the establishment and expansion of micro enterprises, with local community participation. Priority will be given to supporting centres in areas of particular need, such as locations where there is a poor history of enterprise development, or where there is a lack of existing enterprise space with little prospect of any becoming available.
The enterprise centres will be developed by community groups which adopt an acceptable legal structure. Typically, they will be non-profit taking and include broad based representation by the communities in which the centres are based.
The initiative will operate in the form of a partnership between local communities and the State. It will be administered by Enterprise Ireland working in close co-operation with FÁS, the local authorities and by both the county and city enterprise boards and the county and city development boards along with Shannon Development.
It is designed to actively encourage a flow of new start-up businesses throughout the regions and is an important part of Enterprise Ireland's regional development strategy.
Support up to 50% of eligible expenditure, or €400,000, whichever is the lesser, is available for communities within the BMW region. Support of up to 40% of eligible expenditure, or €300,000, whichever is the lesser, is available for communities outside the BMW region. An additional 5% is available for projects located in the Clár programme districts.
Also, support is available of up to 50% of eligible expenditure or €38,000, whichever is the lesser, towards the recruitment of a centre manager, to be paid over a period not exceeding two years.
Furthermore, support is also available of up to 50% of eligible expenditure, or €13,000, whichever is the lesser, to assist communities at the feasibility or pre-planning stages of a proposal.
Applications, received under the first call for proposals, are now under consideration. It is expected that the successful applicants will be announced within eight weeks. A second call for proposals is expected to be announced towards the end of the year.