Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 326: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports available to a person (details supplied) to progress the development of a new product; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40461/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not provide either direct funding or direct business advice to potential business start-ups nor does it have any role in the evaluation of business proposals. Support and assistance for small businesses in Ireland, both financial and non-financial, is delivered by a number of State bodies. These State bodies are the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs), Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development and FÁS, all of whom receive their funding from this Department and all of whom have an expertise in the area of business start-ups.

The County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) provide support to micro-enterprises with 10 employees or fewer. The function of the CEBs is to develop indigenous enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity at local level. Subject to certain eligibility criteria, enterprises may qualify for financial support from the CEBs in the form of feasibility, employment and capital grants or for non-financial support such as business advice and information, management development, training and mentoring.

All of the CEBs operate to the same criteria in relation to the assistance which they can offer i.e. they can support the establishment and/or the development of new and existing enterprises by individuals, firms and community groups provided that the projects, that should generally be in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector, have the capacity to achieve commercial viability and which over time may develop into strong exporting entities.

In order to qualify for Enterprise Ireland assistance client companies must be Irish owned, be a manufacturing or an internationally trading services enterprise or be an overseas company in the food, drink and timber sectors seeking assistance to locate in Ireland, must employ more than 10 people or be a high growth start-up according to criteria defined by the Board of Enterprise Ireland. In addition Enterprise Ireland must be satisfied that the company will;

produce products for sale primarily in world markets

produce products of an advanced technological nature for supply to internationally trading or skilled sub-supply firms within the State

produce products for sectors of the Irish market which are subject to international competition or is a service industry, as defined by relevant ministerial order.

The most appropriate course of action, therefore, would be for the project promoter to directly contact the CEB network to discuss the potential to further develop the initiative into a formal business proposition (www.enterpriseboards.ie). Depending on the potential size and investment package of the initiative the CEBs may advise the promoter that Enterprise Ireland (www.enterprise-ireland.com), which assists in the development of small to medium enterprises, may be better placed to assist the promoter.

In addition, the project promoter should also access the website (www.basis.ie) which provides general information on starting and developing a new business in Ireland. The aim of the BASIS (Business Access to State Information and Services) website is to provide information on all Irish Government services to business.