Towards 2016

Louth County Enterprise Board - Action Plan T16
Progress Report Q2 2010

Women in Enterprise
The Enterprise Board retained Margaret Andrews & Associates to continue the work developed during 2008, working with Network Louth. This initiative provided continuity to the Enterprise Board’s support for Women in Enterprise in the region, a project which began in 1999. The Board continues to support Network Louth through 2010, providing a limited amount of funding towards event and training costs.

Tradelinks II
Tradelinks II was approved by SEUPB and the project began in late 2009. This 12-County project promotes and facilitates cross border trading, promotes collaborations and will result in exports for the participating companies. It is managed by the long-standing partnership of Louth County Enterprise Board and Newry & Mourne Enterprise Agency. The total budget for this 3-year project is over €3.0m.

Creative Enterprise programme
This programme was sustained by the Board through 2009, without the benefit of external funding. Among the highlights of the programme’s activities was the design and development by Louth Craftmark Ltd of Louth Creative Community Hub, an incubation and enterprise centre for Creative Industries, which will be established in Dundalk in 2010. The Board is also supporting Louth Craftmark as it represents County Louth in a Leonardo funded Creative Industries EI exchange programme. The partner countries are Finland, Spain, Italy and Northern Ireland. This project completes in 2011.

Louth Craftmark Ltd
The Board continued to support this vibrant sector, delivering a very focussed support programme for aspiring makers and established craft enterprises in Louth. Craft Map and the support for the annual Showcase trade fair provided makers with marketing and sales outlets for their products. The ongoing facilitation of craftmakers’ attendance at national and international trade fairs assists in building the profile and export capacity of these enterprises.

The Louth Craftmark outlet at Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda continues to build the profile of both the region and its craftspeople as a centre of excellence for craft and design.

Training & Development
The Board continues to provide focussed training based on the client needs as identified through our Client Survey and also based on recommendations in national reports, such as that issued by the Small Business Forum. The Start Your Own Business programme continues to be very popular and is offered in Dundalk, Drogheda and Ardee, in equal measure.

Extended training programmes in Sales and Marketing, Business Development, Social Media Networking and Pricing Policies are also on offer through 2010. The Board continues to sponsor and support both Drogheda and Dundalk Chambers of Commerce Business Awards.

Institutional Racism and Sectarianism
The Board has undertaken to deliver a programme on behalf of the Louth Peace III Partnership which seeks to address issues around racism and sectarianism in the workplace. The project began in late 2009 and will complete by end 2010.

Enterprise Week 2010
The fourth Louth Enterprise Week was a great success, with 20 distinct events taking place across the county. The week culminated with the presentation of the 2009 Louth Enterprise Awards. Almost 1,000 people attended the various events which were staged county-wide during the week.

Student Enterprise
Student Enterprise Awards 2009 took place as part of Louth Enterprise Week with students participating through their mini companies. Student Enterprise Awards continues to offer students the opportunity to take a business from the idea stage, through market research to production, selling, record keeping, management and finally writing a comprehensive report on their activities.  Activity at Primary School level involves 23 schools from all parts of the County, in which the children are introduced to the idea of entrepreneurship and the possibilities of working for themselves when they leave education. 

Enterprise Ireland
The Board has a very positive relationship with Enterprise Ireland, both locally and nationally. We, in conjunction with Monaghan and Cavan CEBs, work closely with the EI Regional Office in identifying HPSUs and also in supporting promoters and projects which have significant development potential.

Nationally, we communicate directly with the EI Central Coordination Unit (CCU) in Shannon, which manages all the day-to-day running of the Enterprise Board network.

Cross Representation
The Board is represented on the County Development Board, Louth Leader Partnership, The Craft Council of Ireland, Louth County Enterprise Fund, Ardee Business Park, Newry & Mourne Enterprise Agency, Oriel Developments Ltd, Louth Craftmark Ltd, Louth Economic Forum and both the Dundalk and Drogheda Economic Development Fora.   

Cooperation and Flexibility
The Board has installed Filemaker Pro as its Customer Relationship Management system and it now has a client base of almost 4,500. The Board communicates with its client base by email and monthly ezines. It polls its client base every two years and uses that feedback in designed new initiatives and programmes which serve its customers.  All staff can access the Board’s server from all points outside the office through a VPN system.

Industrial Relations
There has been no industrial action within the Board. All staff members attend regular staff meetings and annual off-site planning meetings allow full participation in the decision making process.

Compliance with Departmental Guidelines.
All staff have been hired and are remunerated in accordance with Department Circulars and guidelines. Staff contracts are not formally in place, pending resolution of certain issues at Departmental level.

Disability
The office and website support disabled access

Financial Control
The Board is in conformance with the Department and Central Coordination Unit reporting requirements and the various procedures which relate to financial control. The Board is also in conformance with the financial control requirements of its funders, which include Interreg IIIA, Leonardo and the Peace III Partnership.

Corporate Governace
The Board is in conformance with Corporate Governance requirements including the Ethics and FOI Acts. It complies with the Code of Best Practice as set out in the Procedures Manual.

Ronan Dennedy
Chief Executive

Louth County Enterprise Board, Quayside Business Park, Mill Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland. Telephone: +353 42 932 7099 Fax: +353 42 932 7101