LEOs helping small Irish businesses to grow and thrive
Getting a small business off the ground and seeing it grow is no small feat. There's a myriad of tasks to complete and obstacles to overcome. But as any successful entrepreneur will tell you, the end result can be tremendously rewarding. To help get you there, Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are on hand. There’s one in every local authority in Ireland, so they are close-by, and they can connect you with significant support and expertise.
Support to get up and running
LEOs offer a range of supports to businesses depending on their stage of development.
If your business in the start-up phase for example, your local LEO can arrange a mentoring programme that will pair your business with an experienced practitioner who can give you practical advice in areas such as business strategy, market research or financial planning.
LEOs also run training programmes tailored to specific business requirements, such as the Start Your Own Business Programme, which helps early-stage entrepreneurs validate their business ideas and gets them ready for launch.
To help offset some of the costs involved as your business ramps up, your LEO may be able to provide financial support. They offer Feasibility Study Grants to help entrepreneurs investigate the potential market for their business ideas, and they offer Priming Grants to help new businesses with salary costs and capital expenditures in the initial months.
Helping your business grow
Once your business is up and running your LEO can continue to provide expert advice and guidance. Support for business owners in the growth phase includes a selection of management development programmes aimed at enhancing the skills you need to drive your business forward.
They can also support businesses in the growth phase with a range of financial supports, including:
- Business Expansion Grants to help cover costs related to capital items, salaries, consultancy, marketing, and general overheads.
- The Agile Innovation Fund, which supports R&D and Business Process Innovation projects.
- The Technical Assistance for Micro-Exporters (TAME) grant, aimed at businesses intending to expand internationally.
Fostering entrepreneurship
Beyond training and funding, LEOs foster a culture of entrepreneurship at local level through the events and programmes that they run throughout the year. These include Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, and the Student Enterprise Programme.
These events offer exciting opportunities to learn from pioneers as well as network with peers, suppliers and potential customers.
LEOs also work with Enterprise Ireland to help small businesses scale up and explore global markets, with some clients transitioning from LEOs to Enterprise Ireland for further development.
For full details on the range of supports available from LEOs, plus contact details for your nearest office, visit LocalEnterprise.ie.