Start and Grow Enterprise Expo Launched

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National Women's Enterprise Day

Expert Advice for Women in Mullingar

Focus on Five Female Entrepreneurs

Inspirational Women to Gather in Mullingar

Spotlight on Women in Business

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NATIONAL  ENTERPRISE AWARDS 2009 PRESS RELEASE

The National Enterprise Awards are organised annually by the network of County & City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) to acknowledge the achievements of small enterprises and their valuable contribution to the local economy.
 
The competition involves two stages, commencing with the County/City Final organised by the local County or City Enterprise Board and the County/City winner progressing to the national competition.  The competition is limited to businesses that have availed of financial assistance from the CEBs.  Each CEB selects an overall winner who advances to the regional and then national stage of the competition which will be held this year  in Dublin Castle on the 10th November, 2009.

The Overall Winner of the 2009 Laois Awards went to Barrowvale Technology Ltd t/a Tradesmen.ie.  The announcement was made recently in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise, where Oliver Dempsey of Barrwovale Technology was presented with his award from Mr. Pat Culleton, Chairman, Laois County Enterprise Board. 

Tradesmen.ie is an interactive service that lets home owners and businesses obtain a number of quotes for jobs which are advertised over the web.  It also helps tradesmen locate work for the trades and the areas in which they are interested.  Buyers and sellers are matched based on locality, skills and requirements.  The interactive nature of this service means that deals can be done much more quickly that by traditional means.  Trades people are kept busy with good quality work and householders and businesses benefit from competition.

The winner of  the Manufacturing Award went to  Allwood Prodcts Ltd.   Allwood Products is a Portlaoise based company specializing in the manufacture of bespoke joinery and furniture.  The company creates designs to suit clients, hotels, bars and restaurants.  The company also creates individual staircases, reception desks,  windows, doors and architectural design.

The winner of the Craft Award went to Helena Malone Goldsmith.   Based in Portlaoise,  Helena is a manufacturer and designer of fine jewellery using traditional hand-making skills.    Customers can visit her studio by appointment and discuss designs or choose existing stock in a comfortable setting.   

The winner of the Food Award went to G’s Gourmet Jams in Abbeyleix.   Founded by Helen Gee in 1998, it was set up as an alternative farm enterprise and is family fun.  The jams are made the good old traditional way  and only the very best quality fruit and natural ingredients are used with no artificial colouring or preservatives giving it a very distinctive homemade taste.   

The overall winner, Barrowvale Technology t/a Tradesmen.ie  will now proceed to a Regional Final, where 8 Regional Finalists from across the country will compete for a place at the coveted National Enterprise Awards.

For further information contact Maria Callinan, Chief Executive Officer, Laois County Enterprise Board
Tel 057 866 1800

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 LAOIS COUNTY ENTERPRISE BOARD

PRESS RELEASE

New Financial Instruments.

12TH October 2009

A revised suite of financial supports has been approved by the Minister.  These new financial supports will replace the existing Capital, Employment and Feasibility Grants being operated by the County & City Enterprise Boards with effect from 2nd November 2009.

1 .General Conditions
 
1.1 “The criteria under which funding is available from the CEBs is based on factors such as the sector of the economy in which an enterprise is operating or intends to operate and the size or proposed size of the enterprise. CEBs can assist in the establishment, and/or development, of new and existing enterprises from individuals/sole traders, companies and community groups subject to the following eligibility criteria;

• the enterprise must be in the commercial sphere;
• the enterprise must demonstrate a market for the product/service;
• the enterprise must have a capacity for growth and new job creation;
• the enterprise must not employ more than 10 people;

1.2  Within the above eligibility criteria there are certain priorities and restrictions imposed such as the following;

• priority must be given to enterprises in the manufacturing or internationally traded services sector which over time can develop into strong export entities and graduate to the Enterprise Ireland Portfolio;
• tourism enterprises must be aimed predominantly at overseas visitors;
• locally provided enterprises promoted by the unemployed, those recently made redundant and women re-entering the workforce can be supported provided that those enterprises do not give rise to concerns about deadweight or displacement;
• it is considered inappropriate to support other areas such as retail enterprises, personal services (e.g. hairdressers, gardeners, etc), professional services (accountants, solicitors, etc), construction, as it is considered that these generally give rise to unacceptable deadweight (where projects would have proceeded anyway) and/or displacement (where the projects simply displace business from other players in the market).
• In relation to the provision of financial assistance there has been an increasing recourse to repayable forms of assistance.

1.3 The current obligations in relation to refundable aid shall continue to apply. (The current obligation is that at least 30% of total approvals of grants made by a Board each year must be in a refundable form. This requirement applies to all grants approved, whether funded from the Exchequer grant or from the Refundable Aid account. Boards should actively monitor and manage the approval of Grants throughout the year so as to ensure that the minimum requirement of 30% is met at year-end. Refundable Aid requirements will apply in respect of all grant types including feasibility/innovation grants. Boards will continue to have the flexibility to decide how to meet the overall requirement).

1.4 The option to use preference shares to support an   enterprise shall remain. It is acknowledged that no Board may wish to exercise such an option in the future.

1.5 There is no change in relation to the manner in which Boards may assist service operators. It is acknowledged that internationally traded professional services and projects with potential to become internationally traded are currently eligible for assistance subject to existing requirements and obligations.

1.6 CEB clients will not be able to draw grants from CEB’s and simultaneously avail of Innovation Vouchers made available through Enterprise Ireland’s scheme.  Where Innovation Vouchers are accessible to CEB clients, these will be used in preference to the Feasibility/Innovation Grant (or the other types of new grants, where appropriate).  This does not preclude clients from subsequently applying for a Feasibility/Innovation Grant if the Board is satisfied that the business warrants this additional investment.

1.7 Limitations on the numbers and percentage mix of existing grants shall not apply in the context of the new financial instruments.

2.0 New Financial Instruments.

2.1 Boards shall introduce new financial instruments replacing existing grant schemes, consisting of a Priming Grant, a Business Expansion/Development Grant and a Feasibility / Innovation Grant.

2.2 Priming Grants may be available for sole traders, partnerships, community or limited companies that fulfil the following criteria

• Located within the CEB’s geographic area;
• A business which on growth may or may not fit the Enterprise Ireland portfolio;
• A business employing up to 10 employees
• A Manufacturing or  Internationally traded services business
• A Domestically traded Service business with the potential to trade internationally.
• A domestically traded services being established by a female returning to the workforce or unemployed persons where the potential for deadweight and displacement does not exist”.

Eligible clients may be awarded a Priming Grant within the first eighteen months of setting up the business. The maximum Priming Grant payable shall be 50% of the investment or €150,000 whichever is the lesser. Grants over €80,000 and up to €150,000 shall be the exception and shall only apply in the case of projects that clearly demonstrate a potential to graduate to Enterprise Ireland and/or to export internationally. In all other cases, the maximum grant shall be 50% of the investment or €80,000 whichever is the lesser. Subject to the 50% limit, a maximum grant of €15,000 per full time job created shall apply in respect of any employment support granted.

2.3 Business Expansion Grants may be awarded to businesses

• located within the CEB’s geographic area;
• A business, which, on growth, may or may not  have the capacity to fit the enterprise Ireland portfolio
• A business employing up to 10 employees
• A Manufacturing or Internationally traded service business
• A Domestically traded Service business with the potential to trade internationally.

The maximum Business Expansion Grant payable shall be 50% of the investment or €150,000 whichever is the lesser. Grants over €80,000 and up to €150,000 shall be the exception and shall only apply in the case of projects that clearly demonstrate a potential to graduate to Enterprise Ireland and/or to export internationally. In all other cases, the maximum grant shall be 50% of the investment or €80,000 whichever is the lesser. Subject to the 50% limit, a maximum grant of €15,000 per full time job created shall apply in respect of any employment support granted.  A business that had availed of a Priming Grant will be ineligible to apply for a Business Expansion grant until 18 months after approval/drawdown date of Priming Grant whichever is the later.

2.4      Feasibility Grants.
The maximum Feasibility / Innovation Grant payable for the S&E Region shall be 50% of the investment or €20,000 whichever is the lesser. The maximum Feasibility / Innovation Grant payable for the BMW Region shall be 60% of the investment or €20,000 whichever is the lesser. 

3.0      Eligible Expenditure.

3.1 With a view to aligning the new Financial Instruments to Enterprise Ireland’s HPSU Scheme, Priming Grants Business Expansion/Development grants can cover all business costs directly attributable to starting a new business or growing and developing a business, save payments to State Bodies.

3.2  Overall the cumulative level of grants to a micro enterprise shall not exceed €150,000 over a three year period. The payments of all grants will be subject to enterprises reaching agreed milestones as per their business plans and the Board’s Letter of Offer.

3.3 Expenditure may be considered under the following headings:

• Capital Items including fit out of workspace, office equipment, machinery, computer costs hardware & software etc (Note acquisition of building and purchase of mobile assets are excluded from grant aid).
• Salary Costs for 1st year of employment. This to be paid out in two instalments.  The first instalment at the commencement of employment and the second instalment once the employment has continued in existence for a period of six months. The level of grant support should reflect the salary scale proposed for the employment being generated.  It is anticipated that only quality jobs attracting salaries in excess of 40K will be eligible for the maximum €15,000 grant support with appropriately scaled back grants offered in accordance with proposed salary for lower paid positions. Staff recruitment costs may also be considered eligible for grant aid.
• Rental/Accommodation Costs. For 1st year of project.  (Note where rental space is already subsidized by an investment of public funds then grant support should reflect the differential between the market rate and subsidised rate).  Rental costs may be paid up front subject to receipt by the Board of signed lease/rental agreements.
• Utility costs including installation costs for telephone & broadband.  (Note mobile phone costs are excluded)
• Marketing costs including packaging, brochures, business cards, trade fairs, website design and development, patent fees and other marketing initiatives.
• Consultancy Costs including design fees, architect, accountant and legal fees
• Business specific training.  Costs here refer to specialized management or key personnel training that are required to ensure the growth of the business. Such courses should not be generally available under Measure 2.  e.g. AutoCAD design, project planning etc.
• Innovation Costs – Costs under this category will include prototype development, innovative design, Research costs, and Third level college consultancy.
• Own Labour Research.  Costs under this category will include own labour involved in carrying out Feasibility/Innovation Grant.  The maximum amount chargeable under this category is €400 per week subject to the overall maximum under this category not exceeding 20% of the overall grant drawdown.
• Miscellaneous Costs.  This will include telephone costs, mileage costs at €0.26 per kilometre, subsistence & overnight costs, air travel etc.  Costs in this category relate specifically to Feasibility/Innovation Grants.  The overall maximum drawdown in this category should not exceed 20% of the overall grant level.
• (Note payments to state bodies including local authorities are excluded)

4.0  Monitoring.

Boards shall keep information on grant payments broken down into distinct elements (as outlined at 3.3 above) of spending as set down by the CCU and report this to the CCU, on a quarterly basis.

5.0  Grant Drawdown.

5.1 Payout of grant claims should be in accordance with the Revised Procedures Manual as updated and amended on an ongoing basis.

5.2 As a guideline Receipts in respect of all expenditure claimed and or Accountants certification of expenditure is required in respect of all expenditure claimed.  (See Procedures Manual for checklist)

5.3 In addition Lease/Rental Agreements will be required where a claim is being made in respect of grant aid in these categories.

5.4  Evidence of employment such as Social Welfare
  confirmation and  tax deduction cards will be
required in respect of claims for grant aid in respect of employment

5.5 Tax clearance certificates and C2 Tax clearance is required for all claims in excess of €10,000.

6.0  Benchmarks.

Payment of Grant aid is subject to achieving agreed milestones as per the Business Plan.

Milestones to be considered include:

• Amount of investment by promoter over the life of the business plan.
• Amount of Employment generated or sustained as a result of the investment.
• Salary scales’ for jobs generated.
• Achievement of projected cash flow outcomes.
• Turnover of business.
• Percentage increase in turnover.
• Amount of investment in research and development.
• Amount/Percentage of sales into export markets.
• Participation in training/mentoring programmes e.g. First Flight, Management Development, and Mentoring.
• Other appropriate milestones as deemed necessary by the Board.

7.0  Review

7.1 Each project approved for support should be reviewed on a six monthly basis over a three year period and annually thereafter.  The review should measure and record achievements against the milestones as set out in the business plan and or letter of offer.  It should also note and recommend any interventions such as additional training or mentoring that may be required to facilitate the sustainability and growth of the business.
 
8.0  De Minimus.
Overall the cumulative level of grants to a micro enterprise from County/City Enterprise Boards shall not exceed €150,000 over a three year period and the cumulative level of aid from all sources cannot exceed the EU de minimus threshold of €200,000 over a 3 year period.  The payments of all grants will be subject to enterprises reaching agreed milestones as per their business plans and the Board’s Letter of Offer.

9.0  Miscellaneous
Boards should ensure that their communications reflect the New Financial Instruments available to support their clients. 

9.1 This document should be read in conjunction with the relevant EU Regulations, The Procedures Manual the Operating Agreement, the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company as well as relevant Circulars.

9.2 The operation of this circular will be reviewed after a period six months from date of introduction and also after a period of twelve months from date of introduction to ensure that it is meeting client needs and making the best use of available resources.

9.3 The Revised Financial Instruments should come into effect on 2nd November 2009.

Authorising circular to CEBS issued from:

Margaret Ryan
Development Manager
CEB Central Co-ordination Unit
Enterprise Ireland,
Westpark
Shannon.

Tel 061 477028
mailto:Margaret.ryan@enterprise-ireland.com

Laois CEB press release queries to Laois CEB 057 8661800  (Maria Callinan CEO or Evelyn Reddin Assistant CEO)

Other local contacts of interest:

Sean Ryan, CEO Offaly CEB 0579 352971
Christine Charlton, Westmeath CEB 044 9349222
Michael Nevin, Longford CEB   043  42757

 The new Student Enterprise Awards website www.studententerprise.ie has just been launched.  

 New Weekly Content Modules

• ‘How to’ notes
• Top tips
• Interactive exercises
• Useful tools
• Student toolbox
• Templates

 A ‘Module Library’ has also been created where students can revise old modules at any stage during the Programme.

• Various template documents that can be used when writing the business report
• Pictures of exhibition stands from last year’s competition
• Video clips featuring practical advice from some of Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs

 Focus on social media

The 2008 Student Enterprise Awards were announced in Tullamore on Thursday, 8th May.
Laois was very well represented on the day by the Brigidine Convent, Mountrath and Heywood Community School. Congratulations to Sinead’s Handmade Cards from Heywood Community School who won Best Display in the Intermediate Section.
Since September, an estimated 105 students from Brigidine Convent Mountrath, Heywood Community School, St. Mary’s CBS, Portlaoise and Clonaslee Community School have been researching and running their own enterprises as part of the Laois County Enterprise Board’s annual Student Enterprise Programme. Participation in the programme encourages students to consider becoming entrepreneurs in the future and be much better prepared by their experience. The experience of running a business brings many other benefits to students; it enhances creativity, improves communication skills and provides practical uses for business studies topics.

The Laois Co. Enterprise Board has been delighted to co-ordinate the Student Enterprise Awards at county level since its introduction in 2002/03 and looks forward to working with both teachers and students in the 2008/2009 Programme. Information on Laois CEB and the Student Enterprise Awards is available at www.laoisenterprise.com and www.studententerprise.ie 
 

AND THE WINNERS ARE....
More success for the Taoiseach’s home county of Offaly, as winners of the 2008 Student Enterprise Awards are announced

The 2008 Student Enterprise Awards were announced in Tullamore today and Banagher College from Co. Offaly won the top award for ‘Farmer On Board’, a farm safety board game for primary school children. A La Carte Art from Loreto Secondary School in Clonmel,Co Tipperary won the Intermediate Category and DS Planners, a wall planner company from Gaelcholaiste Luimnigh in Co Limerick, won the Junior Category.

Since September, an estimated 12,000 students have been researching and running their own enterprises as part of the annual Student Enterprise Programme, run by the County and City Enterprise Boards throughout Ireland.

Congratulating the winners, Ger Enright, Chairperson of the organising committee, said “the standard of enterprise and innovation was exceptionally high at this year’s Student Enterprise Awards and I’d like to pay tribute to all the students, teachers and principals involved in this year’s programme.”

To compete in the Student Enterprise Awards, participants must have operated a real business during the academic year with guidance from their teachers and local Enterprise Board. They also prepared a business report, set-up an exhibition display stand and took part in an interview with the three-member Judging Panel.

The student-run enterprises were judged across eight different categories, including quality of the product or service; the marketing plan; level of innovation, identification and management of risk; the business report; financial performance; the exhibition stand and interview and finally, personal development.

Further information about the Student Enterprise Awards is available from www.studententerprise.ie and the 2008/2009 Student Enterprise Programme for secondary schools starts in September.

For more information and photos of the event please visit www.frankfullard.com/wordpress

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