Increased budget will help small businesses prepare for sustainable and digital challenges of the future
The Local Enterprise Offices have today welcomed the announcement of an additional €2million as part of the 2022 Budget to assist small businesses in the areas of digitalisation and sustainability.
Padraic McElwee, chair of the network of Local Enterprise Offices, said; “The increase in funding to the Local Enterprise Offices for 2022 is a welcome boost for the small business sector as we look forward following a challenging 18 months.
“Both Covid and Brexit have impacted businesses across the country, but it has also demonstrated how agile and resilient our small businesses are. We saw huge increases in training and mentoring as small business owners and micro enterprises looked to upskill themselves and find new ways forward.
“We saw over 13,000 small businesses utilise the Trading Online Voucher scheme to get their businesses online, many of whom would not have availed of this if it not for the necessity of being online to continue trading. They now have an online presence, a new revenue stream and the ability to sell internationally.
“The Local Enterprise Offices are committed to helping these small businesses and micro enterprises future proof themselves, become more sustainable and more digitally adept to ensure they can maximise their potential for growth. We can see many opportunities for business on the horizon and this additional funding through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will help us prepare our clients effectively for the years ahead.”
