6,500 SMEs helped by National Enterprise Hub in first year

More than 6,500 SMEs have been directly supported by the all-of-government National Enterprise Hub (NEH) in the first 12 months since its launch.

The top grants availed ranged in value from €3,000 to €7,000 and focused on supporting businesses with cashflow, expansion and productivity to help them deal with concerns around rising costs, and competitiveness.

The National Enterprise Hub has attracted 220,000 active online users to its website over the last 12 months and also offers a full-time dedicated phone line, connecting business owners with specialist advisors who can discuss potential grant options over the phone.

The National Enterprise Hub, an initiative of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and Enterprise Ireland, brings together information and resources on 250 government supports from 30 different departments and state agencies. Looking ahead, there will be a continued and renewed focus on simplifying business grant applications for SMEs engaging with the National Enterprise Hub.

The businesses are from a range of industries, the majority within tourism and hospitality, retail and consumer products, food, health and beauty, professional services and the construction sector.

The free service makes it easier and more efficient for businesses to access and avail of supports such as grants, funding, loans and expert advice across a range of sectors.

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, said: “With 6,500 companies engaging in its first 12 months, the National Enterprise Hub has proven effective in streamlining and simplifying access for SMEs to government supports, equipping them with vital digital and sustainability resources to navigate rising costs and stay competitive.

“Research from my department shows that four in five businesses believe sustainability is important. An awareness campaign is currently under way showcasing how the NEH can support businesses in cutting costs through grants such as the LEO’s Energy Efficiency Grant and SEAI’s Business Energy Upgrade Scheme.

“My focus now with the NEH is on reducing administrative burdens and red tape for businesses by consolidating multiple grant applications into a single, simplified process. We must redouble our efforts to simplify processes for businesses and make sure that we think about small businesses first. I look forward to its continued growth and positive impact on Irish SMEs.”

Conor O’Donovan, head of Start-Ups and the National Enterprise Hub, said SME engagement has exceeded targets to date. “One of the main aims of the hub was to engage with businesses who haven’t availed of government supports to date and to make the process of availing of government supports faster and easier.

“We know that Irish SMEs are operating in a complex environment and being able to access grants and supports is more important than ever. Small businesses who are engaging with the National Enterprise Hub are concerned about rising cost of business and competitiveness – that is why a single source of government supports for businesses is important to ensure that accessing the right information is made easier.

“The National Enterprise Hub has a team of dedicated advisors who are directing SMEs to the right support that will help them. It’s for every business in the country and we’d encourage every business to go online to neh.gov.ie or pick up the phone and start the conversation around your business needs today.”

Audrey Hughes, CEO of Principle HR, said: “Like so many Irish SMEs, we are focused on providing the highest quality of service delivery to our customers, while remaining competitive. Accessing government supports to assist can feel daunting but the National Enterprise Hub made the process so much easier by putting us in contact with the right agency whose support and expertise fitted our needs. Through our initial engagement with the National Enterprise Hub, Principle HR is now an Enterprise Ireland client and in a short period of time our business has been helped through the strategic marketing review support and engagement with their overseas market advisors. With the business environment constantly changing, I’d encourage all SMEs no matter what stage they are on their growth journey to contact the NEH today to learn about what supports could be available to them.”