Activity Update 2002
Background
The Kilkenny County Enterprise Board continued to provide a
pivotal role in the development of the local economy in County
Kilkenny in 2002. The Board is part of the national network
of 35 City & County Enterprise Boards, established by the
government in 1993 to fill a gap in the support services to
local enterprise.
The main objective of the Board is to provide supports to facilitate
the establishment, development and growth of micro-enterprises
in the county. The Board strives to achieve this aim through
the provision of selective financial assistance and through
the provision of supports to improve the entrepreneurial and
management development ability of owner-managers of small businesses.
Summary
The Board approved financial assistance totalling circa €450,000
to an additional 45 business projects in 2002 in the form of
Capital, Employment and Feasibility Study Grants.
This brings the total number of projects assisted by the Board
since its establishment in 1993 to 480 and the total amount
of grant aid approved to almost €4.6 Million.
The 45 projects assisted in 2002 have the potential to create
an additional 74 full-time jobs when fully operational. This
brings the total number of jobs created by the Board in the
last 9 years to 764 at a cost per job of just €6,000, which
represents excellent value for EU and Exchequer funding.
The 45 projects approved grant-aid in 2002 covered the full
spectrum of industry sectors from local services and manufacturing
operations through craft based enterprises and small-scale food
processors to tourism & leisure projects and those that
have the potential to become internationally traded services.
Many of these projects are based upon identified niche market
areas not currently being serviced by other businesses in the
County. Key criteria of financial support from the Board are
that projects are commercially viable and that they do not have
a risk of causing displacement.
‘Soft’ Supports
While the provision of grant-aid to eligible business projects
is perhaps the role for which the Board is best known, arguably
the most valuable service it provides is the ‘first-point
of contact’ to people either thinking of starting their
own business or those already in business thinking of expanding.
This ‘one-stop-shop’ service encompasses the provision
of basic information and advice, training, research, mentoring
and management development supports to clients. Hundreds of
people benefit from these supports on an annual basis.
This role has become an increasingly important part of the Board’s
work and last year the Board invested a further circa €325,000
in Enterprise Training Supports.
A total of 378 people participated in over 35 training &
management development programmes organised and delivered by
the Board in 2002. These ranged from ‘Start Your Own Business’
Training Courses through to ‘Computerised Accounts’
Training for Business Owners to ‘Financial Training’
and ‘Sales & Marketing’ Programmes. The 2002
range of Programmes included a range of new initiatives aimed
at assisting owner-managers of small businesses respond to less
favourable trading conditions.
Ossory Youth Services continued to co-ordinate the Young Entrepreneurs
Scheme (YES) on behalf of the Board in 2002. Approximately 350
students from second level schools all over the county participate
in the YES each year. The YES provides first hand knowledge
and experience to young people of what it is really like to
run their own business. The emphasis is upon doing, so students
get exposure to everything from: Getting the business idea;
to doing the market research & preparing the plan; to actually
setting-up the business and selling their products or services.
The Board were pleased that 3 YES businesses promoted by Kilkenny
students received awards at the National Finals.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Kilkenny County Enterprise Board is
currently chaired by Mr. Michael Malone (Kilkenny County Manager)
and comprises of representatives from all of the local development,
community and business organisations with a role and remit for
enterprise development. The current membership of the Board
is as follows:
Michael Malone (Chairman), Cllr. John McGuinness TD, Yvonne
Moriarty, John O’Shea, William Costello, Pat Nolan, Michael
Mc Guire, Cllr. Pat Dunphy, Cllr. Matt Doran, Cllr. Mary Hilda
Cavanagh, Ger Heffernan, Gerard Mullally, Darragh Murphy, James
Hennessy and Alison McGrath.
Kilkenny County Enterprise Board Ltd.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2002
45 Projects approved grant aid.
€450,000 grant-aid approved
74 jobs created.
Cost per job at €6,000
750 enquiries processed.
€325,000 Invested in ‘Soft’ Supports.
35 Enterprise & Management Training Programmes run.
378 people benefited from Enterprise Training.
350 students participated in YES.
