County enterprise boards have responsibility for companies with under ten employees in the areas of international services and manufacturing, other than those identified as high potential start-ups. The boards are also involved in the local provision of management training for small enterprises through training programmes delivered by qualified trainers usually from a number of outside agencies or third level institutions.
FÁS is responsible for apprenticeships and traineeships in all companies. FÁS also provides a training support scheme for firms, regardless of the number of employees, engaged in sectors related to business services, including the motor, retail, wholesale, insurance, auctioneer-valuer-real estate, advertising, contract cleaning, transport, postal, telegraph and radio communications, logistics and storage and warehousing sectors. Grants are usually a percentage of the training cost and companies with between one and 50 employees are given 70% towards the cost of approved courses.
Enterprise Ireland is responsible for companies with over ten employees in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors and high potential start-up companies. Enterprise Ireland also works closely with county enterprise boards to ensure that high potential start-up companies are assisted to develop to their full potential. Enterprise Ireland works with county enterprise boards, where relevant, to deliver specific technology, marketing and human resource supports to those companies.