COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
QUESTION NO. 8
QUESTION: Councillor J. Graham
To ask the Chief Executive to provide a report on the business start up grants available from the Council, to outline the purpose of the business support grant set aside in the budget and the amount accessed from these funds thus far.
REPLY:
The Local Enterprise Office has a number of grants assistance that it can offer to entrepreneurs to give practical support in developing an idea, starting a business or expanding a current business. In additional to a Feasibility, Priming and Expansion Grant the LEO South Dublin also offers training and mentoring as a support to people who wish to start up their own business. Application forms for the grants are available on the LEO website or by calling into the LEO office and speaking with one of the Business Advisors.
The rationale for the Business Support Grant (BSG) is that 1% of rates paid would be ringfenced to directly support business. This is subject to the budgetary approval by the Elected Members.
The primary operation of the BSG is a direct grant to eligible businesses with a rateable value of under €10,000. The Elected members set aside €880,000 for this grant in the adopted 2015 budget. In the 2014 budget €1.2m was similarly allocated.
Work is ongoing with the Finance department to pay the remaining approx. 900 applicants who made an application during 2014. In total approx. €585,000 has been committed from the BSG with respect to the 2014 applications.
With respect to the additional funding from the BSG, as agreed, they will be used to target industrial vacancy/ underutilisation and obsolescence and; to promote innovation and enterprise, on a percentage breakdown of -
- 60%- infrastructural upgrading works to be of a capital nature.
- 30%- innovation, startup advice and supports including incubation space
- 10%- targeted training, to be identified by targeted surveys and delivered through LEO
Work is ongoing through the Economic, Enterpise and Tourism SPC to identify and support particular projects that can directly benefit from the above supports.
For the 2015 BSG grant process, the application letter, which has been simplified, is due to issue.
The members will be kept informed through the reports from the Economic, Enterprise and Tourism SPC.