National Enterprise Hub to offer support for food and drink businesses
The National Enterprise Hub can also be the gateway for food and drink businesses to access many Skillnet Ireland services, such as the Skillnet Climate Ready Academy.
Food and drink is one of the sectors at which the new National Enterprise Hub is aimed, offering streamlined access to Government supports for businesses.
World-renowned for its quality, the sector is threatened by rising costs, labour shortages, and supply chain issues, but the hub can help.
Those who contact the hub are promised "the right support to help make your business stronger and more adaptable".
This service helps businesses to navigate and access Government supports, by bringing together information and resources of more than 180 services provided by 19 departments and State agencies.
This service is available online, and is supported by a team of experts and advisers accessible by phone or via live chat.
Enterprise Minister Peter Burke recently launched the hub, which is particularly aimed at small businesses that have not yet availed of Government support, and at increasing uptake of grants and Government schemes.
The hub is funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and operated by Enterprise Ireland. Businesses can contact the Hub team via the website or by phone at 01 727 2100.
For example, food and drink businesses can be helped by Bord Bia to develop market-ready growth strategies, or introduced to the start-up accelerator programme for early-stage companies preparing for global growth, and seeking investment.
Risks of innovation can be reduced by availing of certified research agency evaluation of new food or drink products, through Bord Bia.
The Bord Bia Learning Zone digital platform can help food and drink businesses improve their work processes and find new opportunities.
Enterprise Ireland's GradStart provides financial support to compete for and hire graduate talent, covering the cost of two-year graduate placements.
Or the Food Academy of the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) can provide essential knowledge about starting a food business (and a unique opportunity to sell your product through one of Ireland’s leading retailers).
An Enterprise Ireland grant for strategic planning can fund a response plan, in challenging times when the world around companies suddenly changes.
Support from the same agency can help with investment to become more competitive internationally. And its LeanPlus and LeanStart programmes help to make businesses more efficient and competitive.
The Local Enterprise Office's Lean for Business support can also help to increase productivity.
Companies can also get in touch with Enterprise Ireland's Mentor Network of more than 400 successful business people with international experience, in one-to-one sessions of practical business advice (there is also an LEO mentoring service).
The early stages are the hardest for small businesses. This is where LEO Priming Grants can reduce the financial burden of starting a business.
LEO innovation vouchers help small businesses collaborate with higher education institutes and public research bodies to solve technical challenges and explore new opportunities.
Then the LEO's Accelerate Management Development Programme can help small business owners and managers to achieve sustainable growth through skills and knowledge.
Among the hundreds of other Government services that can be accessed through the National Enterprise Hub are the Enterprise Ireland Spotlight On Skills programme which helps businesses identify the important skills they need to achieve their full potential, or the LEO Business Expansion Grant for early-stage businesses.
The hub can also introduce small businesses to the Local Enterprise Office's grants and funding for energy-saving measures.
Green for Business is a Local Enterprise Office entry-level sustainability grant scheme.
GreenPlus and GreenStart are Enterprise Ireland sustainability grant schemes, and their scheme of capital investment for decarbonisation also helps businesses become more environmentally friendly.
The Climate Action Voucher from Enterprise Ireland offers training and advice on areas for improvement, and planning to reduce emissions and become more resource efficient.
Innovation Vouchers from Enterprise Ireland can be used to collaborate with higher education institutes and public research bodies, to explore opportunities or solve technical problems.
Enterprise Ireland also offers capital funding support for companies seeking to increase international trade; an Innovation Partnership Programme which connects businesses with research institutes; and a Research, Development & Innovation Fund to invest in developing new products, services, and processes.
Digital Discovery is an Enterprise Ireland grant scheme for introducing new digital technologies (the agency's Digital Process Innovation support also funds new digital services, organisational processes, and technology). LEO also supports development of e-commerce capabilities like website creation and online marketing.
Enterprise Ireland offers help and advice on intellectual property matters; financial support for systems to lower energy bills and improve energy efficiency; and access to knowledge and research when bringing new products or services to market (including the Masterclass in Market Intelligence).
The National Enterprise Hub can also be the gateway for food and drink businesses to access many Skillnet Ireland services, such as the Skillnet Climate Ready Academy.
Accessed through Enterprise Ireland, the EU’s Horizon Europe flagship research and innovation programme can also provide Irish businesses with funding and expertise.
As the Government agency responsible for supporting Irish businesses in manufacturing and internationally traded services, Enterprise Ireland also has a Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund; Employment Funding Support to help businesses with growth potential to increase international trade and create new jobs; Digital Marketing Capability support to reach new customers, grow sales and expand market reach; and a Strategic Consultancy Assignment service to help companies plan for change.
Cross-border trading is one of the easier, more accessible ways to begin exporting, which is where InterTradeIreland comes in, with its Acumen programme to help businesses grow on an all-island basis, and the Trade Export Pathway of tailored support.
The same agency's Go-2-Tender support programme teaches companies how to successfully apply for public sector contracts, specifically across borders.
InterTradeIreland's Business Explorer programme helps businesses with financial support to try out new ideas or projects; and its Enterprise Investment Scheme helps smaller, higher-risk trading companies with tax relief for investors who buy new shares (including the necessary advance assurance the company, its trade, and its shares qualify).
Enterprise Ireland's Key Manager Support grants help fund positions such as chief financial officer, chief technology officer, research and development manager; and its Market Research Centre helps businesses uncover trends, potential successes, and challenges in a market. Its Strategic Marketing Review is a short, intensive programme for senior leaders.
Enterprise Ireland's Market Discovery Fund is an export development grant, and its Leadership for Growth training programme develops the business skills and abilities of Irish senior management.
The hub also offers streamlined access to Teagasc's advice, consultancy and training, and the Western Development Commission's Business Investment Fund for businesses located in or moving to the west of Ireland.
The hub is a gateway to the micro-qualifications programme from Solas, which offers short accredited qualifications for employees, designed to fit their work schedules at little or no cost to employers.
The hub's seemingly endless list of services includes credit facilities (such as Microfinance Ireland small loans with minimal paperwork requirements); Údarás na Gaeltachta funding and services; Sustainable Energy Authority grants and services; and the Department of Social Protection's employment and income supports and services.
