Tradelinks Programme

The Tradelinks programme is designed to assist micro-enterprises across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal by:

• Enhancing employment generation opportunities
• Developing exporting capability
• Addressing barriers to cross border trade
• Encouraging new market and new product development
• Encouraging innovation

Tradelinks is a partnership initiative between Enterprise NI, the network of local enterprise agencies, and the Border County Enterprise Boards and is supported by the European Union’s Interreg IVA Programme

Benefits of the programme include:

• a wide ranging suite of support specifically designed to address issues unique to micro-enterprise sector
• a team of experienced assessors and mentors
• the opportunity to form linkages and clusters with similar micro enterprises
• Signposting service to other programmes

Programme Elements
Tradelinks offers a range of programme elements tailored to meet the needs of microenterprises at various levels of development:

Assessment
The entry point for all companies recruited onto Tradelinks. At this stage, your business will be assessed on the basis of established selection criteria and a Business Improvement Plan prepared which will help determine your future progress on the programme.

Market Entry Support
As the focus of the programme is on cross border trade, an approved mentor will assist the client in identifying potential cross border linkages, carry out appropriate market research, identify potential cross border opportunities and produce a comprehensive ‘market entry plan’ for the client.

Business Support Mentoring
Each client will receive additional mentoring to address the specific needs of the company in becoming better placed to benefit from cross border trading opportunities. Following assessment the mentor and client will agree a company improvement plan- the client and mentor will select appropriate modules of support from a selection of over 30 modules available under the programme.

Linkage Support Mentoring
Additional mentoring support will be available to clients actually following up on a cross border business to business linkage. This will be available to help the client prepare for the meeting and/or for the mentor to accompany the client on their initial meeting.

Networking
The aim of Networking is to contribute to increased enterprise and trade on a regional and national level by providing Tradelink clients with the opportunity to network with one another and other businesses and organisations.

For further details please contact Sarah Mallon at sarahmallon@lceb.ie.

An information brochure on Tradelinks 2 is available to download here>>

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