Sponsored Content

Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Dublin City aims to promote entrepreneurship, foster business start-ups and develop existing micro and small businesses to drive job creation and to provide accessible high quality supports for your business ideas.

By promoting entrepreneurship, providing tangible supports and services and advising business, the Local Enterprise Office Dublin City helps to create 400 sustainable jobs annually and drive prosperity in the city. The LEO provides information, advice and practical, high-quality supports to help businesses plan, start and grow.

In terms of supports, startups and small business can avail of training, mentoring, financial supports, networking and awards. The businesses the LEO typically works with have fewer than 10 staff and an annual turnover of less than €2m. The services and supports are relevant, timely and accessible at each stage of business development.

Now in its sixth year, the LEO provides services to approximately 3,000 small businesses in Dublin City annually. Almost 2,000 small businesses avail of affordable and accessible training options, while a further 1,000 have found solutions to business challenges through mentoring programmes. Last year, approximately €1.4m in direct funding was provided to support micro enterprises.

Support For Gym + Coffee

In need of support to move their business forward, Gym + Coffee got in touch to find out more on the supports available. According to co-founder Diarmuid McSweeney: “LEO Dublin City were really helpful. They outlined all the supports they could offer us and told us how they could help. We applied for a Business Priming Grant, which enabled us to take on our first staff member and freed us up to expand further.”

In addition to grant funding, there are a number of awards that businesses can apply to, such as Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur, National Enterprise Awards and Women in Business Network awards, with prizes ranging from €500 to €50,000.

In Association with

Access To Funding

“Timely access to funding is vital at every stage of business development,” says Mary MacSweeney, Deputy Head of LEO Dublin City. “Our feasibility grant enables businesses to move from concept to viability, supporting prototype development and patent costs. Our Start-Up and Business Expansion grants help businesses to secure necessary staffing. MFI loans can also be accessed at a preferential rate through LEO.”

Local Enterprise Week takes place from 2-7 March 2020, with events to support you in planning, starting or growing your business. The full schedule of events taking place will be available on localenterprise.ie/DublinCity over the coming weeks.

For information on these and all our supports visit www.localenterprise.ie/dublincity

Photo: Mary MacSweeney, Deputy Head of Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, with clients Diarmuid McSweeney and Karl Swaine of Gym + Coffee