The government has extended the mandate of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to target new exporters by providing direct grants to firms who employ more than ten and are operating in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors.
Officials said that in future years it is intended to further expand the range of advisory services available to all companies with up to 50 employees, including those operating in the locally traded sector.
LEOs currently handle grant such as the Feasibility Grant, Priming Grant, Business Expansion Grant, Technical Assistance for Micro Exports Grant, and Green Start.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said the decision fulfils a commitment in the Programme for Government to ensure a continuation of support for enterprises that have grown above 10 members of staff.
The pilot framework to extend the LEO mandate will:
- expand the role of the LEOs so they can provide direct grants to businesses with more than 10 employees
- put in place the structures to enable a seamless transition from LEO to Enterprise Ireland so that ambitious and high-performing companies, regardless of size, are assisted in scaling and achieving their potential
- streamline the process when applying for LEO or Enterprise Ireland assistance, so that SMEs have a clear roadmap of progression.
In Association with
Officials said that over the medium to longer term, training, mentoring and development programmes will be more open to locally traded sectors of the economy, "subject to a feasibility study that will evaluate the amount of resources to be allocated based on a full cost benefit analysis, and the overall strategic direction of policy which will be set out in the White Paper on Enterprise".
In 2023 the LEO network will also pilot a programme that will provide capital grants to small firms to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
The Small Firms Investment in Energy Efficiency Scheme will provide a grant through the LEO network to companies to encourage investment in energy efficiency technologies or processes that reduce carbon emissions and overall energy costs.
The scheme will follow on from the LEO Green for Micro Scheme which currently provides advice and technical assistance to firms on energy efficiency and reducing their carbon footprint.
“This extension of the LEO mandate will fill a gap in state supports for those businesses with greater than ten employees. Working closely with Enterprise Ireland, it will allow the LEOs to provide grants to help firms to have the ambition to export," said enterprise minister Leo Varadkar.
"Our broader vision is to further expand the advisory role of the LEOs in a way that gives them a consistently broader reach into the business community across all regions and this will be reflected in our White Paper on Enterprise Policy."
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Dara Calleary said the extended LEO mandate would help many businesses who are looking to expand into new markets.
"This is essential to the resilience of our economy and is one of the key priorities of the SME and Entrepreneurship Taskforce which I chair with minister Damien English.”
Minister English added: “We need to build the foundations for a stronger advisory service for all businesses, including domestically focused firms, and the LEOs will have a key role to play in this regard."
(Pic: Getty Images)
