23rd May 2024 |
Policy Papers, Reports
The first ever Local Enterprise Offices Policy Statement 2024-2030 was published on 23 May 2024. The policy statement was developed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, the LEO Network, and the City and County Managers Association.
The LEO Policy Statement outlines how, through a variety of programmes and campaigns, LEOs foster a strong entrepreneurial culture and promote enterprise nationally. Above all, there is an emphasis on a consistency of approach across the LEO network and a clear intention to show that LEOs are, and remain, the first stop shop for all businesses regardless of sector. The policy statement outlines an agreed approach on how the work of the LEOs will adapt to contribute to the implementation of five of the priorities of the White Paper on Enterprise – decarbonisation, digitalisation, increasing exporters, enabling the locally traded sector to thrive, and stepping up enterprise innovation.
The LEO Policy Statement is anchored on four core pillars:
Enabling Entrepreneurship: with LEOs committed to creating an enterprise environment where entrepreneurship can flourish, by offering support for entrepreneurs to succeed.
Offering Business Advice: LEOs continuing to be the first stop shop for businesses locally, using their experience, local knowledge and expertise to engage directly with any business on the ground, supported and enhanced by the forthcoming new National Enterprise Hub (NEH).
Providing Enterprise Supports: Focusing on business advice, training and mentoring, digital, green and lean supports for all businesses regardless of size, and direct financial grant aid for businesses in manufacturing and/or internationally traded services.
Supporting Local Economic Development: contributing to business development and employment creation in every community, village, town and city in the country. Providing this essential building block in economic development, thereby creating attractive, vibrant and resilient communities.
The policy statement has 12 actions for implementation between now and 2030 and was developed in collaboration with other government departments, Enterprise Ireland, the local authorities, the LEO Network and consultation with the SME and Entrepreneurship Taskforce.
Among the policy developments being introduced are:
- Climate focused assessment criteria for capital grants for manufacturing and internationally traded services businesses.
- Ex-post measurement of the impact of climate related supports.
- Changes to the digitalisation offers to ensure consistency and greater eligibility.
- Greater emphasis on the role of the forthcoming National Enterprise Hub and its signposting service.
- Introduction of a new export accelerator through the LEOs and EI.
- Commitment to deliver the LEO Customer Relationship Management System digitalisation project.
Topics:
Supports for SMEs, Entrepreneurship, The Business Environment, Retail and Locally Traded Enterprise