Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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574. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the funding and financial supports that are available for a small business with fewer than ten employees throughout Ireland and especially in counties Sligo and Leitrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14976/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Local Enterprise Offices, LEOs, are the first-stop-shop for providing advice, guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their business.

The LEOs can offer direct grant aid to micro-enterprises (up to 10 employees) in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector which, over time, have the potential to develop into strong export entities. Subject to certain eligibility criteria, the LEOs can provide financial assistance within three main categories, that is, Feasibility Grants (investigating the potential of a business idea), Priming Grants (to part-fund a start-up) and Business Development grants for existing businesses that want to expand. Micro-enterprises can also avail of supports to facilitate them to identify and develop new internationalization opportunities.

It should be noted that the LEOs do not provide direct grant-aid to areas such as retail, personal services, local professional services, construction/local building services, as it may give rise to the displacement of existing businesses.

Since 2014, the LEOs also disburse direct capital funding in the form of investments to successful young entrepreneur applicants under the Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) programme.

Micro-enterprises can also avail of the Trading Online Voucher (TOV) Scheme from the LEOs. The TOV Scheme offers the opportunity for businesses to develop their website or digital marketing strategy by availing of vouchers of up to €2,500 or 50% of eligible expenditure.

Anyone with a viable business proposal can also use the LEO to make an application to Microfinance Ireland, which offers support in the form of loans of up to €25,000 to start-ups with viable business propositions that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by the banks.

Micro and small enterprises can also access information on over 170 different Government supports that are available for Irish based start-ups and small businesses via the Supporting SMEs online tool. The online tool is a cross-governmental initiative to help start-ups and small businesses navigate the range of Government supports available. By answering the eight quick questions in the online tool, micro and small businesses will, in one location, be able to: 

- Find out which of the over 170 Government business supports from 27 different Government Departments, Agencies and Initiatives are available to them; and

- Obtain information on the range of Government supports for accessing credit.

The online tool is an initiative developed under the Action Plan for Jobs and is available at: www.supportingsmes.ie.

Further information on the services available from the LEOs, including soft supports such as training and mentoring, can be accessed atwww.localenterprise.ie.