Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 March 2017
805. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the details of the 2017 plans for the Enterprise Ireland community enterprise centre initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11462/17]
View answerIn 2015, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, began a new approach to supporting job creation initiatives through competitive funding schemes. These schemes support of the Regional Acton Plans for Jobs at local and regional level.
Enterprise Ireland launched the Community Enterprise Initiatives Fund, the first of these competitive calls, in 2015. It focused on community-driven enterprise initiatives and how all the local players, public and private, can work together to maximise job creation.
The Fund was open to existing Community Enterprise Centres (CECs) and also to any other organisation or groups of organisations with innovative ideas to create jobs, promote entrepreneurship, boost innovation or enhance exports. In June 2016 €3m was awarded to 32 projects to work together at regional level.
To continue to stimulate regional growth, as detailed in the Action Plan for Jobs 2017, the Government will provide further investment of up to €60 million across 2017 – 2020 to support collaborative approaches to boost enterprise and job creation throughout the country.
As part of this commitment, Enterprise Ireland will announce a new competitive fund in the near term. This competitive funding will support major new collaborative and innovative initiatives that can make a significant impact on enterprise development in a region, across regions, or nationally, to build on unique regional capabilities and drive balanced regional enterprise development throughout Ireland.
Eligible applicants will be not for profit entities that comprise national/regional, county and local stakeholders, with a purpose of benefitting the wider needs of the community and region/nation. CECs will be eligible to apply for this competitive funding.
