STIMULATING AND SUPPORTING NEW BUSINESS IN IRELAND

CEIM ASSISTS NEW INNOVATIVE COMPANIES IN THE NORTH WEST

By James Donlon, September 12, 2007

The CÉIM Programme is offered by the Institute of Technology Sligo and Letterkenny Institute of Technology, in collaboration with Border Action, Enterprise Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta and is co-ordinated by WESTBIC. On Friday 7th September, 12 new innovative companies from Donegal and Sligo commenced the programme, which is now going into its fourth year and is targeted at people with innovative business ideas, which have high commercial and export potential, who live or wish to relocate to the North West region. CÉIM also considers applications from third level graduates, people who have been made redundant and the groups identified by the EU Peace II Programme.

CÉIM is a full-time business start-up programme delivered over one year through which successful applicants will benefit from training, mentoring, financial and other business supports, networking opportunities and incubation space. The programme provides the following supports to Entrepreneurs:
· Training in all areas of business
· Grant aid from Enterprise Ireland or Údarás na Gaeltachta for eligible applicants
· Mentoring from experienced business advisors and practitioners relevant to participant’s projects
· Office and other business incubation facilities at ITSBIC, Sligo or LYIT BDC, Letterkenny
· Networking with other entrepreneurs and business development agencies
· Introduction to seed and early stage capital investment organisations.

Rosemary O Reilly, Industrial Liaison Manager at the Institute of Technology Sligo, said “Both the Institute of Technology Sligo and Letterkenny Institute of Technology are delighted to be involved in the CEIM programme, as it provides an excellent example of higher education co-operation collaboration to meet the economic needs of the region”.

Padraig Gallagher, Industrial Services Manager at Letterkenny acknowledged that “the CÉIM Programme offers these new budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to get training, mentoring and specific business start up advice to help them realise their dreams. And in addition a number of the participants will also receive support from Enterprise Ireland’s CORD fund and Údarás na Gaeltachta’s training allowance which will allow them to give up their previous full-time employment and work full-time on setting up and developing their businesses”.

The new businesses on the programme come from a variety of sectors, including ICT & Software Development, Electronics, Engineering, Manufacturing and Renewable Energies. If you would like assistance in setting up your own business and information on the CÉIM Programme and similar programmes, please contact Aideen Brennan, CÉIM Programme Manager for further details: Tel: + 353 (0) 71 91 41501 or abrennan@westbic.ie .

The CEIM Programme is part-financed by the European Union’s Programme for Peace and Reconciliation and the Irish Government under the National Development Plan, and managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Border Action.