WESTMEATH BUSINESS GETS CHANCE TO SHINE AT PLOUGHING 2026

A small business from Westmeath will get the chance to exhibit themselves to almost 300,000 people at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, County Offaly in September as part of the Local Enterprise Village. E-Vehicle Accessories Ireland who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath offer premium storage solutions to EV owners.

The Local Enterprise Village, an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, will house over 30 small businesses from across the country and will be located at the heart of this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Offaly from the 15th to 17th September.

This year the Local Enterprise Village will also have a Business Advice Hub for any budding entrepreneurs or existing businesses who want to get advice from the Local Enterprise Offices Specialist Business Advisors. So, for anyone who has a business idea that wants to figure out how to get it off the ground or for someone with an existing business who may want advice on funding, sustainability or building digital and AI into their business there will be advisors on hand to meet with.

The Local Enterprise Village will again host the Google AI team this year following on from the success of the Google area in 2025. Their experts will also be in the Local Enterprise Village with an interactive area focused making AI work for you and your business. With close to 300,000 visitors expected across the three days of the event the Local Enterprise Village provides these small businesses with significant exposure to new audiences and potential new customers. Enterprise Europe Network will also be based in the Village for the first time, giving advice to businesses who want to begin looking at new markets across the EU.

Aniko Szucs founder of E-Vehicle Accessories Ireland, “I am thrilled to announce my very first attendance at the National Ploughing Championships after hearing so much about this incredible event. We can’t wait to showcase our innovative electric vehicle frunks and meet everyone visiting the show. Come stop by our stand (Block 3, Row 8, Stand 150) to check out our products in person and chat with our team!”

Christine Charlton, LEO Westmeath says “This is an opportunity like no other for a small business in Ireland. The chance to bring their ideas and products to almost 300,000 potential customers is a showcase like no other. The Local Enterprise Village has become one of those areas everyone wants to drop into to find their local business and see what they can pick up.

This year we are building out our offering to small businesses who may be attending the Ploughing or maybe those that have a great idea and don’t know where to start with our Start-Up Advisor Hub. This along with the Google AI team on site in the Village to guide businesses on how to integrate AI into their day-to-day work flow and the Enterprise Europe Network to help open new doors across the EU, there is assistance there across the board. And then there is so much for visitors too with a huge variety of businesses exhibiting this year highlighting the depth of sectors that the Local Enterprise Offices support, from manufacturing and food and beverage, to software solutions and fashion. Whatever you are interested in there is something for everyone at the Local Enterprise Village.”

The Local Enterprise Village is just one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.