Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Annual Report 2014: Enterprise Ireland

1:30 pm

Mr. Kevin Sherry:

By close of business this year we will have done ten competitive start fund calls. Last year we supported 81 companies. It is where companies compete for funds at a very early stage. It requires those involved to bring the business to a stage where they prove the business concept and the business is up and running at a very small stage. This year, to date, we have supported 87 companies and we see ourselves supporting more than 110 before the end of the year. Those businesses require cash upfront. The funding we provide is to develop the business to a stage where we go on and support them in the subsequent round.