The Kilkenny County Enterprise Board continues to provide supports to facilitate the establishment, development and growth of micro-enterprises in the county. The Board, chaired by the County Manager , Mr. Michael Malone, comprises representatives of a wide range of state and semi-state organisations along with local business and community interests. The Board also has four elected representatives, nominating by Kilkenny County Council, giving democratic legitimacy and accountability to the Board.

The Board provides a range of financial and non-financial supports to facilitate the establishment, development and growth of small businesses in County Kilkenny. The Board in particular is keen to improve the entrepreneurial environment, as well as the viability and management development capability of small businesses. The Board is now firmly established as the first point of contact for small businesses, offering a wide range of customised supports from basic information and advice through to grant-aid.

The Board approved financial assistance totalling circa €485,000 to an additional 32 business projects in 2005. These projects have the potential to create an additional 58 full-time jobs when fully operational. This brings the total number of jobs created by the Board in the last 10 years to over 900, at a cost per job of just €5,600, which represents excellent value for EU and Exchequer funding.

A total of 519 people participated in over 46 training & management development programmes organised and delivered by the Board in 2005. These ranged from Start Your Own Business Training Courses through to Computerised Accounts Training to Financial Training and Sales & Marketing Programmes for Business Owners. A further 117 people were supported by the Board through its Technical Assistance and Mentoring Programmes.

The more successful small businesses tend to be promoted by owners that pay particular attention to detail, that have proper management controls and business planning techniques in place and that have an ability to respond quickly to change. In this regard, the CEBs provide a "ladder" of supports, that take account of the various stages of development and circumstances of their clients, while at the same time encouraging and facilitating them to "step-up" to the next level.

The Board also signed local agreements with community groups in Castlecomer and Callan for the retention of a Business Development Executive to help each community prepare and implement a plan of locally based enterprise actions.

The Board in conjunction with the Kilkenny Industrial Development Company Limited (KIDCo) and the Waterford Institute of Technology, continued to sponsor a Research Studentto undertake a major economic survey of targeted business sectors in Kilkenny and its surrounding hinterland, which will include a labour force and skills survey.

The Kilkenny County Enterprise Board (CEB) is Chaired by the County Manager, Mr. Joe Crockett and 4 elected members from Kilkenny County Council serve as Directors of the Board, namely Cllr. Tom Maher, Cllr. Matt Doran, Cllr. Malcolm Noonan and Cllr. Martin Brett. The CEB has primary responsibility for providing supports to facilitate the start-up, development and growth of small business in County Kilkenny. The Board continued to play a pivotal role in this regard in 2007. The highlights of activity during the year include:

Enterprise Culture

The Board continued to support the Student Enterprise Awards (SEA) in second level schools. Approximately 400 students were involved in the SEA initiative, which has become an integral part of the CEB's work programme. The Board also strives to ensure that aspiring entrepreneurs can find advice in order to establish and sustain their enterprises. In 2007, hundreds of existing and aspiring entrepreneurs availed of business information and advice from the Board. The CEB also initiated a very successful Enterprise Week, from 1st - 5th October, aimed at raising the profile of the importance of and the issues affecting small business, comprising workshops, seminars, business briefings, media events and awards.

Enterprise Training & Management Development Support

The Board continually orgnanises and delivers a wide spectrum of enterprise training and management development supports for small businesses. A total of 528 people participated on the 58 enterprise training and management development programmes run by the Board in 2007.

Project Approvals

A further 31 business projects were approved financial assistance totalling €366,569. Of these projects: 7 are local services, 20 are manufacturing operations, 3 projects have the capacity to become Internationally Traded Services (ITS) and 1 project is a major tourism and leisure project. The projects approved during 2007 have the potential to create an additional 62 full-time and 13 part-time jobs when fully implemented. This amounts to 68 full-time job equivalents and brings the total number of jobs created by the Board since it was established in 1993 to 1,053 at a cost per job of circa €6,135. This brings the total number of projects assisted by the CEB since its establishment in 1993 to 586 and the total number of jobs created to 1,054.

Other Initiatives

The Board continued to employ a Project Manager, in conjunction with Kilkenny County Council to work with the local community in the Callan area to develop a range of actions aimed at stimulating local economic development. The CEB, through the Kilkenny County Development Board, has also been proactively leading the priority action to develop the provision of third level education in the County.

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
• 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.