1. Supports for Business Thomas McEvoy Head of Enterprise Louth County Council 27th March 2019

2. Local Enterprise Office Louth
LEO sits at the heart of the Economic Development Unit of Louth County Council.
First Stop Shop for all business needs. Seamless Integration
Planning, regulations and support in one place.

3. First Stop Shop for small business

4. Local Enterprise Office Louth Who can we assist?
LEOs can assist small businesses if …..
Commercial venture
Market for the product/service
Capacity for growth and job creation
For Grant purposes
Up to 10 employees
No Displacement and Deadweight
Manufacturing / Traded Services with potential for international markets

5. Local Enterprise Office Supports
Training
Financial
Mentoring

6. Non-Financial (Soft) Supports
Mentoring
Business Planning, Marketing, Market Research, Sales, Financial Management, Sourcing Finance, Human Resources, Operations, IP & patenting, product development, Quality, Safety, Consolidating costs, Social Media & Online Marketing, E-commerce & web etc. or sector specific mentoring
Training
Consultations
All Companies

7. Non-Financial Supports - Training
Start Your Own Business
Start Your Own Online/Food Business Workshops
Social Media Workshops
Capability Development programmes for general business support and specialised areas (LEAN, food, innovation, export, female entrepreneurship, etc.)
Procurement, Marketing, Data Protection, Finance, Preparing Business Plan, Record-keeping and Tax
Retail Excellence Ireland

8. National Enterprise Programmes
Local Enterprise Week
Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur
National Enterprise Awards
Student Enterprise Programme
National Women’s Enterprise Day
Enterprise Villages at:
National Ploughing Championship and Showcase
Promotion of Community Enterprise Centres (CECs)

9. Financial Supports - Grants
Eligibility requirements (for mainstream grants)……
Commercial venture
Market for the product/service
Capacity for growth and job creation
Up to 10 employees
Manufacturing / Trading Services
Retail excluded from mainstream grants, but may qualify for retail supports and Trading Online Voucher

10. Types of Grant aid
Feasibility
Priming
Business Expansion

11. Business Supports Roadmap – 3 steps to mitigate Brexit
1. Assess Exposure – BREXIT Scorecard
2. Prepare a Plan
- Grants from Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland
3. Get Supports (financial and non-financial):
- Build Competitiveness
- Expanding reach/ Target New Markets
- Innovation
- Building Scale / Finance
- Advice (mentoring/ customs training)

12. Step 1: Assess Exposure to BREXIT - Brexit Scorecard
Free online tool to self-assess readiness for Brexit in key areas:
Strategy, Operations, Finance, Sales/ Marketing, Innovation, and People/Management
Leads to LEO /EI supports package

13. Step 2: Avail of Supports to Prepare a Plan & Look at Non-Financial supports
‘Prepare a Plan’ Grants:
- Enterprise Ireland clients
(€5,000 to prepare Brexit Plan)
- Non-Enterprise Ireland clients
(€2,250 InterTradeIreland Brexit Ready Voucher)

14. Non- Financial supports
Tailored ‘Brexit’ Mentoring (via LEO)
Management Development/ Business Training
Customs Insight Course
Go onto LEO / EI website
View Course and/or Register to participate
Export Development Workshops
eg. Monaghan tomorrow, 14th March

15. Step 3: Get Supports to Build Margin Four strategic responses
Optimising people, equipment, technology, and information in sourcing, production and delivery of goods and services
= LEAN Prog
Development of better solutions (new or improved products services or processes) to provide a strong competitive edge
= Co-Innovate /
Innovate Accel./
Agile Fund
Competitiveness
Innovation and R&D
Diversifying into new international markets and new market segments within the UK and elsewhere
= Export Grant
Strong operational finance in parallel with strategic financial planning
= Brexit loan scheme
Expanding Reach
Financial Management

16. Competitiveness: LEAN Programme
Across all sectors
Strong focus - LEO 2019
Subsidised Cost (80%)
Most effective programme open
Produces Results!

17. Innovation: 1. Co-Innovate Programme
Manufact’g & tradable services with international potential
SMEs in Border Counties & NI (contact: LEOs/LEAs) - Free
Innovate Accelerate
Supplementary support for Louth cos. (<10 employees) = And to help target New Markets
3. Innovation Vouchers (€5k value research at 3rd level inst.)
4. Agile Innovation Fund (R&D costs, over 18mts, up to 45%)

18. Reaching New Markets Export Grant
Businesses employing up to 10 FTEs
50% of costs met, up to €2.5k grant
Explore and Develop New Export Markets
Manufacturing/I.T.S.; Eg. participation at trade fairs, international trade networking events, marketing materials, translation, export websites
Application forms available from LEO

19. Financial supports
MFI (all sectors, non-secured loans <€25k, via LEO)
SBCI (Brexit loans >€25k <€1.5m, via pillar banks)
LEO Grant supports (Manufacturing/I.T.S.)
Trading Online Voucher Scheme (training, support and grant up to €2.5k, all sectors, via LEO)

20. Finally… search for ……. Local Enterprise Office Louth…..
Brexit Information Centre
Irish Government’s Brexit website

21. Thank you Further details available in LEO Brexit Handout Local Enterprise Office Louth, Louth County Council Town Hall, Dundalk T: E: W: