Small business bulletin for Northern Ireland

Local News 1 Oct 2024

Local small business news from Roisin McAliskey, your FSB Development Manager. Updates cover Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Derry/Londonderry and Tyrone. Last updated 16 October 2024.

In summary

A really busy September with celebrations of 50 years of FSB. Did you catch our Stormont Park Run event to mark the occasion? We also had a fantastic networking event with HSBC this month and the FSB Northern Ireland policy team have been attending all of the political party conferences to raise the voice of small business. Lots of pics on our social media. Don’t forget to check out our events in the next quarter.

Featured news and events 

New Cluster Acceleration Programme for SMEs announced

Cluster Acceleration Programme will fund five clusters and 50 studies, providing financial support for SMEs to collaborate and grow.

The £11 million Cluster Acceleration Programme (CAP), designed by Invest Northern Ireland, aims to boost innovation and productivity among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Northern Ireland by supporting and funding the formation of business clusters over the next ten years.

What are clusters?
Clusters are business-led groups made up of industry, government, academia, capital investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs linked by their economic activities. They come together to collaborate on new products or processes, address challenges such as skills and employment gaps, or increase export capabilities and improve productivity.

Why join the Cluster Acceleration Programme?
Businesses will benefit from the programme on two levels:  

  • Phase One Feasibility Study - up to £60,000 for networks of 8-10 SMEs to explore innovative projects
  • Phase Two Cluster Project - up to £1,000,000 for selected clusters from Phase One studies.

The programme will also deliver best practice events, cluster manager training, networking opportunities, and interactive workshops. Applications open 4 October 2024 and close 20 December 2024 .

More details on eligibility here.

Northern Ireland In-Person Networking

Join us on Monday 11 November at 10.30am for a special Export Networking Session along with the Department for Business and Trade. NB: Attendees must bring along a form of ID on the day, so that a guest pass can be issued for this event. 

Register here for this free event.

In other news 

Share Your Views on the Issues that Matter Most To Your Business - Enterprise NI Barometer is live now.

The NI Enterprise Barometer, now in its sixth year, provides the clearest assessment of how our small, micro, and self-employed businesses are doing and what, in detail, is required to ensure they get the right support at the right time.

The data from the NI Enterprise Barometer is strong and insightful because of the connectivity and engagement that our Local Enterprise Agencies have with their tenants and locally connected businesses. It is important that Government and key delivery partners work with Local Enterprise Agencies, as the network that has the connectivity with local businesses and the agility to deliver the support that businesses are asking for.  

The NI Enterprise Barometer is powered by Enterprise NI and supported by the British Business Bank.

How to Take Part

To complete the survey, click here: surveymonkey.com/r/barobiz24

Survey completion time is approximately 5 – 10 minutes. On completion, you could be in with the chance of winning a £250 staycation voucher at Carrick a Rede Retreat.

Climate Action Programme support for small businesses

Following the successful pilot schemes developed through support from both Danske Bank and the UK Community Renewal Fund, Business in the Community (BITC) Northern Ireland will continue to deliver a Climate Action Programme to support SMEs to take climate action.

Through the Programme, BITC will support SMEs to reduce their CO2 emissions. The programme will address the objectives of BITC’s Business Action on Climate campaign and will enable BITC to reach and support businesses who will, via the programme: make a commitment to address the climate emergency; reduce their scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions; and sign the Climate Action Pledge. Furthermore, the programme will help participating businesses to build capacity, assist with net-zero planning, and increase levels of reporting and capacity building to enable delivery of immediate and long-term climate action.

The British Business Bank has co-funded a Climate Action Programme for up to 18 SMEs (less than 250 employees) in Northern Ireland. They are looking for SMEs from across Northern Ireland who are just beginning their climate-action journey, with applications open until 4 November. The British Business Bank is partially funding this Climate Action Programme for SMEs and costs and full progamme details available here.

 

Still in the news 

DAERA launches £1.55 million rural micro business development grant aid fund

DAERA has launched the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme which will deliver £1.55million in capital grants to support rural micro businesses across Northern Ireland.

The Rural Business Development Grant Scheme is funded through the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs ‘Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation’ (TRPSI) Programme and is delivered in partnership with local Councils.

Eligible rural businesses can apply for capital assistance of 50% up to the value of £4,999 for the purchase of capital equipment which will help their business to enhance sustainability or lead to growth opportunities and the creation of employment opportunities which in turn strengthen the rural economy.

Launching the scheme, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, MLA, said: “I am pleased to announce the opening of the £1.55million Rural Business Development Grant Scheme. This fund is important in delivering on the Department’s priority of building strong sustainable and diverse rural communities and the draft Programme for Government priority of growing a globally competitive and sustainable economy with a focus on addressing regional balance.”

Minister Muir continued: “I urge all eligible rural businesses to go online and apply as soon as possible. Rural Businesses continue to play a vital role in our rural communities, and I want to support them at this challenging time and provide them with opportunities that will maximise their potential and stimulate business growth.”

Details of the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme are on the DAERA website at: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/services/rural-business-development-grant-scheme-rbdgs. Only online applications can be accepted for this scheme. The Scheme opens for applications at 9:00am on 16 October 2024 and closes at 12 noon on 8 November 2024.

NI Apprenticeship Awards open

Apprentices, employers, and training providers are encouraged to enter the Apprenticeship Awards 2025.

The Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Awards recognise apprentices, their mentors, employers, and training organisations who have demonstrated exceptional progress as well as personal achievement and commitment.

There are eight award categories for 2025 including:

  • Apprentice Award (Levels 2-3)
  • Higher Level Apprentice Award (Level 4+)
  • Public Sector Apprentice
  • Large Employer in partnership with a Training Provider Award (employers with 250 employees and over)
  • Small to Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) in partnership with a Training Provider Award (employers with fewer than 250 employees)
  • Mentor Award
  • Diversity and Inclusion Award
  • Public Sector Employer in partnership with a Training Provider Award

How to apply Apprentices, employers, and training providers are encouraged to enter the awards here by 8 November 2024.

FREE Condition Management Programme

The Condition Management Programme (CMP) could help you if you have a health condition which affects your ability to stay in work or return to work. The free and confidential programme, is led by healthcare professionals, such as Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Mental Health Nurses.

CMP can offer help with physical and mental health including:

• Managing stress, anxiety, low mood, depression

• Coping with pain and fatigue

• Developing a healthier lifestyle

• Sleep management Sessions can be provided in-person, online or via phone.

More information and contact details for your local Health & Social Care Trust here.

The flavour of the month at the Department for Business and Trade in October is Food and Drink!

We're pleased to announce that from October 2024, the UK Export Academy from the Department for Business and Trade, in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade, will be helping food and drink companies understand the key steps they need to take to sell their products to the world, with extra sessions being added each month until March 2025.

The brand new series "A Taste of Global Success: Selling to International Food and Drink Markets Made Easy" will cover essential topics such as: how to take those initial first steps with planning international growth navigating international food and drink legislation mastering Incoterms and how to get paid when selling overseas demystifying the sanitary requirements needed when selling to global markets There will also be some market-specific sessions to help businesses explore where in the world there is demand for their products. Attendees can dip in and out of the sessions, or book onto all events dependent on their specific needs.

The webinars are completely free to book. To sign up for the sessions and find out more, head over to A Taste of Global Success: Selling to International Food and Drink Markets Made Easy – UK Export Academy – great.gov.uk

AIB Support for SME Sustainability

As well as their useful SME roadmap to sustainability and sector guides, AIB are set to organise a streamed event for businesses to find out more about their path to sustainability. This conference will feature exceptional international and Irish trailblazers, each providing their unique perspective on the global transition to a more sustainable future. The full line-up and agenda will be announced in early course.

Embedding sustainability within corporate decision making is important to preserve and create value. Whilst business practices are beginning to move in the right direction, we know that the first step to take is not always clear. Our goal for this year’s event is to help demystify the transition, to share perspectives on the path ahead and support our customers on their sustainability journey, creating connections and providing practical advice. We hope you will find value in joining the conversation.

Registration is free and now open through the below link. Once registered, a link to join the live stream will be shared via email in the days leading up to the conference. 

Event details: 
Date: 25 November 2024
Time: 9:00AM – 1:00PM
Register here: https://aibsustainabilityconference.ie/register

More about FSB NI

Get in touch

Your FSB Development Manager for Northern Ireland is Roisin McAliskey. If you'd like more information about the topics above, or if you have news about this area that you'd like to share, please get in touch. 

 

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