Startup Support All Ireland - Organisations to help you get started

by Startacus Admin

Based in Ireland (North or South) & need some help getting your business or startup off the ground - here's a list of organisations & events that might be able to help...

We all know that in order to get your idea, project or startup off the ground, the right support is absolutely vital, and over the last few weeks we’ve talked about a lot of organisations that we think can help you along your journey in the world of business thanks to our Startup Support UK features.

This week, we’ll be doing something very similar, but we thought it was time to give Ireland some love! Ireland (Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland) does have a smaller startup ecosystem than the UK, but we still think that it certainly fills big shoes. If you’re interested in finding out what different organisations and events Ireland has to offer, then please keep reading...

Enterprise NI

Enterprise NI was set up in 2000 in order to help entrepreneurs set up their business in Northern Ireland, enabling them to grow and develop. One of their core aims is to represent the interests of local enterprise agencies and lobbies on behalf of small business.

ENI provides a range of services for members including networking events, joint purchasing, business development and continual professional development. They believe that networking with and learning from other startups is essential to success and wish to help in any way they can.

They hold national contracts with a lot of different sector organisations. including Regional Start. Social Entrepreneurship and Exploring Enterprise. Their programs, including Business Boot Camp, are supported by access to small business finance through the ENI Loan fund. This allows them to give your business the investment it needs to get started.

Invest NI

Invest NI is the main investment body for the local economy in Northern Ireland.

One of their major responsibilities is the provision of different services, programmes and advice to those wishing to create and grow businesses in the local area; much of their efforts centre on those enterprises which are deemed likely to have a major
impact on the region's economy. However, the most beneficial programme offered by Invest NI for startups is perhaps their Propel Programme. If you have a startup and believe that it is innovative enough to become a significant exporter and employer - this is the programme for you. It will help accelerate your business ideas so that they are competitive and participants are more than ready to pitch for investment and compete internationally.

They are particularly keen to increase Northern Ireland’s global exports and so are worth taking a look at if you have a highly scalable business with your eyes on a global market.

InterTradeIreland

InterTradeIreland is a Cross-Border Trade and Business Development Body funded by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment (DETI) and the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation in Ireland. (DJEJ) They aim to support businesses through innovation and trade initiatives. They are very collaborative and take advantage of opportunities available in both the North and South of Ireland to not only improve job opportunities and growth, but to also drive competitiveness. Ultimately, they want to help small businesses across the country explore new cross-border markets and they want to ensure that your business is ready for investment.

They work solely with Manufacturing and Tradable Services Companies and SME’s who have an impressive trading record and they have an array of services available. These services include business and funding support, venture capital, events, workshops and access to expertise and mentoring.

Do you want to find out more? You can visit their website here. And if you are an Irish startup and looking to get investor ready - find out more about the Seedcorn competition (at time of publishing its open for entries!)

Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland offer various services to Irish owned companies with the aim of ensuring that export sales growth is achieved. They wish to help with international sales in a lot of different ways. For example, they offer funding support for startups, for businesses with expansion plans and for all sorts of strategic business plans. They also provide access to a global network of contacts to help with gaining customers overseas and they also wish to help companies become more competitive in international markets.

All of Enterprise Ireland’s services are made available to clients through their Development Advisors who act as a point of contact for all of the services that are offered. They are responsible for assessing your business needs and will make an effort to agree with you on how Enterprise Ireland will best be able to help.

If you wish to become an Enterprise Ireland client and want to find out how they can help you, you need to contact your local Enterprise Ireland Office.

Startup Ireland

Startup Ireland does its best to represent the Irish Startup sector.They wish to make Ireland as a whole the No.1 destination for startups with an impact. Their aim is to attract startups who seek rapid growth by creating a fertile ecosystem, and if you’re a budding entrepreneur with an idea for a brand new startup, this is something you can definitely get involved with.

How do they plan on accelerating a business’s growth? They wish to connect startups with the best services and resources and so have included 5 major cities which are currently featuring in The Startup Gathering. This will make it easier for various businesses and startups from each city to both connect with each other and also keep up to date with the various events that are happening.

Improving alignment amongst the key stakeholders is key for Startup Ireland and these include Research Centres, Investors, Incubation/Co Working Spaces and Professional Service Providers. If you wish to find out more, hop over to their website!

All of the organisations we’ve discussed have a lots of things to offer you and your business, but you also might be interested in taking part in some of the great meetups that happen in Dublin fair City itself...

• Startup Hiking

This meetup is an a chance for entrepreneurs across Ireland to meet up and enjoy the outdoors together. It is a great chance to network and make great new connections and friends - and let’s be honest, Ireland has some nice scenery on offer too!

• Dublin Beta

Dublin Beta is a chance for everyone who’s interested in business or can help others wit
h business growth to attend an event in order to make new connections and help each other meet their goals. You’ll find developers, marketers and Jack and Jills of all trades at these events so it is certainly beneficial. The next event is June 15th this year!

• Startup Grind Dublin

Startup Grind host monthly events in order to help educate, inspire and connect entrepreneurs. They host their events in more than 150 cities and 65 countries and they feature local founders, innovators and investors who wish to share their personal stories about their life in business and what they have learned on their journey.

• Silicon Drinkabout Dublin

This meetup is tailored to techies, designers and all kinds of business folks. It is a chance for all of you like minded entrepreneurs in the area to meet up, kick back, relax and enjoy each others company at the end of a stressful work week.

• API Dublin

This meetup is specifically for software development, where attendees are encouraged to discuss API’s and hypermedia. They make an effort to invite various different speakers from the best developer platforms around the world. You can visit their meetup page to find out more here.

Or, if you prefer you can find out more about these Dublin Startup events here!

Before we wrap things up, we’d also like to give a well deserved nod to Dublin’s Web Summit - which has been dubbed “the best technology conference on the planet”. There is something for everyone, and we were lucky enough to get the chance to attend the event over the last couple of years. We can safely say that it is not to be missed, as each year there are over 500 innovative companies and startups in attendance, with world class speakers also on the agenda. Check out their website to find out more about this year’s event!

That’s all folks, but if you’re still hungry for more (we wouldn’t blame you) you can check out our previous articles on both Dublin Startup and Belfast Startup Month to find out what else is going on!



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Published on: 6th April 2015