Local Enterprise Offices
The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the first-stop shop for providing advice and guidance in relation to a range of business issues, including financial matters, to the micro and small business sector. They also provide soft supports in the form of training and mentoring to anyone wishing to start or grow a business and financial assistance to micro-enterprises that meet certain criteria. Among their range of services, the LEOs:
- provide focused training courses on a range of topics, including on financial issues such as financial planning (pricing, costing) book-keeping and taxation, and more intensive Start Your Own Business and management development programmes, which also incorporate financial elements
- arrange mentoring supports tailored to meet the specific needs of your business, for example, financial planning, business strategy
- can offer direct grant aid to microenterprises (10 employees or fewer) in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector
- operate a signposting service in relation to all relevant State supports available through agencies such as Microfinance Ireland and the Credit Review Office
Details of the full range of LEO supports and the location of your local office are available on localenterprise.ie.
InterTradeIreland
InterTradeIreland, the cross-border trade and business development body funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department for the Economy, offers a Funding Advisory Service.
Microfinance Ireland
Microfinance Ireland's Advice Centre offers expert advice on cash flow management for small business and funding your own Irish start-up.
National Enterprise Hub
For information on supports available to SMEs in Ireland please see the National Enterprise Hub which sets out the full range of government financial and other supports.