Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 January 2015
59. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding bursaries or grants available to a start-up enterprise providing spinning and hand weaving classes and demonstrations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4076/15]
View answerAnyone looking for advice or information on starting up a small or micro enterprise should contact their nearest Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in the first instance.
The LEOs are the first-stop-shop front line service assisting in delivering business growth and jobs for the micro-enterprise sector. They pull together all the players – other Government Departments and Agencies – to support everyone with a good business idea and strengthen the enterprise sector in the local area. The LEOs are the first port of call in terms of advice, direction, training and, in certain circumstances, grant support for anyone who wishes to start or expand a business.
The LEOs themselves provide a range of financial and non-financial supports to help enterprises at start-up or during business expansion phases. It should be noted, though, that the LEOs generally only grant assist enterprises in the manufacturing or internationally traded services sector, which over time can develop into strong export entities. However, there are other non-financial supports available, such as mentoring and training, and the LEO staff can advise as to which supports would be most appropriate to your situation.
In addition, any business can use the LEOs as a gateway to accessing finance from Micro Finance Ireland (MFI), which offers support in the form of loans of up to €25,000 to start-up, newly established or growing microenterprises employing less than 10 people with viable business propositions that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by the banks. The Fund available to MFI has a significant entrepreneurship focus and is open to anyone with a viable business proposal. Applications for the Microfinance Fund should be channelled through the local LEO. Further information can be found on the LEO website at www.localenterprise.ie
Businesses can also access the new online search tool for SME business supports that was launched last May. The Supporting SMEs Online Tool is a cross-governmental initiative to help Irish start-ups and small businesses navigate the range of Government business supports for which they could be eligible.
By answering the eight questions in the Tool, a small business will, in one location be able to:
- Find out which of the over 80 Government business supports from 27 different Government Departments, Agencies and Initiatives are available to them
- obtain information on the range of Government supports for accessing credit
- identify their nearest Local Enterprise Office where they can discuss the outcomes of the guide further
- download all these filtered results into a document for their further use.
The Supporting SMEs Online Tool is available at: www.localenterprise.ie/smeonlinetool
For enterprises starting up in County Wicklow, the contact details for the LEO Wicklow are: Wicklow County Campus, Clermont House, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow, tel: 0404 30800, email: enterprise@leo.wicklowcoco.ie.
