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Looking for Small Business Supports?

There are a number of supports available to both start-up and established companies from state agencies.

State Agencies that provide support for start-up companies:

  • Local Enterprise Office
  • Enterprise Ireland
  • Udaras na Gaeltachta
  • National Rural Network
  • Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM)
  • InterTrade Ireland
  • Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI)
  • Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS)
  • Microfinance Ireland

 

Local Enterprise Boards offer a variety of supports to assist start-up, development and expansion of small businesses.

  • Feasibility / Innovation Grants
  • Priming Grants
  • Business Expansion Grants

 

Enterprise Ireland – the main objective of EI is to support established companies with export potential. However, the agency also encourages and supports new High Potential Start-Up businesses. Funding available includes:

  • EI Innovation Voucher Scheme
  • Co-Funded Fast Track Vouchers

 

Udaras Na Gaeltachta is the regional authority responsible for the economic, social and cultural development of the Gaeltacht. Funding includes:

  • Capital Grants
  • Employment Grants
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Office space and Incubation Units also available.

 

Rural Development Network is designed to target resources to support improvements to the quality of life in rural areas and the diversification and development of the rural economy and is administered by:

  • Leader Partnerships
  • Local Development Partnerships
  • Local Development Companies see www.nrn.ie

Relevant rural development programme funds:

  • diversification into non-agricultural activities
  • support for the creation and development of micro-enterprises
  • training and skills

 

BIM helps to develop the Irish Seafood Industry by providing technical expertise, business support, funding, training and promoting responsible environmental practice. see www.bim.ie Funding available includes:

  • Collective route to market funding
  • Seafood value adding scheme
  • Seafood processing business investment scheme

 

Intertrade Ireland (ITI) through the Acumen programme, aims to help SMEs to grow their business on the island of Ireland by targeting new cross-border markets.

  • Business support options include: market research, full-time sales person, part-time sales person, sales graduate programme.

 

Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) - The FSAI provides advice to businesses on how to produce safe food. The FSAI ensures that food produced and sold in Ireland meets high standards. The FSAI puts consumers' interests first and foremost. The FSAI ensures that food complies with legal requirements.

  • Business supports include: legislation overview, information for starting up a food business, HACCP resources

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is hosting a series of focus groups for small businesses that manufacture food products that carry health and nutrition claims.  The focus groups will discuss a proposed solution to assist food businesses comply with the food law when making these claims.  They will take place in February 2021; will be held virtually and last approximately one hour.  To sign up or learn more, please email: training@fsai.ie.

 

Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS) provides tax relief for investment in certain corporate trades by individuals. It replaced the Business Expansion Scheme in November 2011. Please refer to the leaflet IT55 on www.revenue.ie for comprehensive details.

Microfinance Ireland – www.microfinanceireland.ie Funded by Government to provide loans to newly established and growing microenterprises across all industry sectors that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by banks.