46 Fingal Businesses to benefit from over half a million cash injection
€545,328 cash injection has been awarded by the Fingal Local Enterprise Office through grant schemes aimed at supporting small and start-up businesses.
Forty six (46) Fingal small businesses and start-ups approved for financial supports in the last Quarter of 2017 by the Fingal Local Enterprise Office are poised to create permanent new jobs. It is expected that over the next 3 years at least 117 new jobs will be added by the businesses in receipt of funding, 38 of these to be created immediately.
Announcing the latest LEO investment of over €545,328 in small businesses, Fingal LEO stated that 2017 has seen significant growth in employment in the small business sector.
The Mayor of Fingal Cllr. Mary McCamley and Head of Enterprise Oisin Geoghegan presented grant approval letters to thirty of the successful businesses at a specially convened awards event in Swords Castle. The local businesses were approved for business priming grants, feasibility study grants, business expansion grants, Innovation grants and E-commerce grants.
Presenting letters of offer to each of the grant approved businesses, the Mayor commented on the importance of supporting start-ups:
“Supporting the development of local SMEs is the key to powering economic development in Fingal and the local authority has a crucial role to play in ensuring that small businesses and start-ups are given every opportunity to succeed. I am delighted that our Local Enterprise Office in Fingal is proactively creating an environment which allows our small businesses to flourish, creating sustainable jobs and contributing to the growth in the local economy”.
Many diverse sectors feature among the approved businesses, including a premium craft beer producer, an innovative natural unique and chemical-free hair removal product formula, a leading wholesale Optical frame and lens manufacturer, a tourism business that specialises in guided hikes and hill walks across the Irish countryside and a business that’s hopes to change neighbourhood watch through mobile phone technology.
Announcing the latest series of grant approvals for the Fingal Businesses, the Head of Enterprise in Fingal, Oisin Geoghegan said: “Financial supports provided by the Fingal Local Enterprise Office can be crucial in helping start-ups to flourish in their first year of operation. This month we have announced supports to a variety of new small businesses that have great potential to create further employment in Fingal in the coming years. This is just the start of the journey for many of these businesses and I expect they will continue to grow and develop over the coming years.”
Commenting on the latest round of LEO funding, Paul Reid, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council said: “Last year, hundreds of businesses and entrepreneurs availed of the wide variety of business supports, financial assistance and training programmes that the Fingal Local Enterprise Office has organised, many of which were delivered on a one-to-one basis. The work done by Fingal LEO with these entrepreneurs, through its many support services, is playing a significant role in accelerating local job creation and investment in the county. Each of these businesses has the ability to grow and create jobs in Fingal which as a result will have a profoundly positive impact on our local economy.”
A Business ‘Priming Grant’ is a business start-up grant for qualifying small businesses. The Business ‘Expansion grant’ is designed to assist the business in its growth phase after the initial 18 month start-up period. Feasibility Study Grant assistance is provided to individuals or businesses that wish to develop new products or services or explore international markets. Business Priming and Expansion grants are capped at €80,000 per application, while Feasibility Study grants are €20,000 maximum. The Trading Online Vouchers grant is part of the National Digital strategy aimed at supporting Irish small businesses while they enhance their online presence.
Click here to see photos taken at the Event
