State Supports

There are numerous state agencies providing business and innovation supports to Irish enterprises:

 

 

 

Enterprise Ireland
The government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. Operating under its current name and structure since 1988, the organisation helps indigenous Irish enterprises to start, grow, innovate and win export sales on global markets. 

 

 

 

Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs)
is the national network of 31 state agencies responsible for the provision of management development and financial support to microenterprises. These entities will operate under the banner of Local Enterprise Office from Spring 2014, having previously traded as County & City Enterprise Boards since their inception in 1993.

 

 

 

Business Innovation Centres
The European Business and Innovation Centres (BICs) are regionally and locally based organisations involved in identification, selection and specialist support for new and existing enterprises. There are 4 BICs in the south of Ireland; Dublin BIC, South-East BIC, Cork BIC & WESTBIC. 

 

 

 

 

Enterprise Europe Network - Ireland
The EEN comprises c. 600 partner organisations in more than 50 countries, The EEN services in Ireland are delivered by Enterprise Ireland, together with 5 Chambers of Commerce from Cork, Dublin, Galway, Sligo and Waterford.  This collaboration operates ‘Info2Innovate’, an online directory for Irish SMEs seeking information on Innovation Supports and Services. It has also published innovation case studies on its website.

 

 

 

 

Intertrade Ireland’s ‘All-Island Innovation Programme’
This programme aims to promote and encourage innovation across the island of Ireland. A series of free innovation lectures, seminars and masterclasses are held throughout the year to share international best practice in the areas of innovation. The programme is delivered in partnership with InterTradeIreland, Queen’s University Belfast, NUI Galway, University College Dublin and University College Cork.

 

 

 

Failte Ireland
The National Tourism Development Authority of Ireland. Their website contains a section entitled 'Innovation & Knowledge Management; Making your business an innovative one within the tourism industry means addressing a range of issues, from ideas generation and evaluation to benchmarking and continuous improvement.

 

Bord Bia
The Irish Food Board.