Start-up companies to get EU backing

START-UP companies have been given a further chance of survival, through Ireland becoming the latest country to be included in a leading EU enterprise exchange programme.

Funded by the European Commission, the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme matches entrepreneurs and early stage companies with experienced entrepreneurs abroad. The initiative is running in 23 EU member states and Ireland is being introduced by the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board.

To date, more than 530 new entrepreneurs from various European countries have travelled to another nation for up to six months to learn management skills from more experienced small business owners. The programme was officially launched here yesterday.

“By participating in this European-wide programme, new business start-ups increase their chances of survival in the early years; gaining experienced, skills and know-how from more experienced business people, who have successfully come through the start-up phase,” according to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board chief executive Michael Johnson.

Minister for Small Business John Perry who launched the recruitment drive, which will have an initial target of 10 exchanges of Irish new entrepreneurs and 10 exchanges of Irish host experienced entrepreneurs over the next year — said it is a logical step to point the country’s growth-orientated entrepreneurs towards the internal market of the EU.

“The Government’s priority is to ensure the business environment continues to be supportive of enterprise, encourages economic activity at local level and promotes export growth by start-up and expanding enterprises to create jobs in this economy,” he added.