Author: laois ecodev

Salutem Insights Limited, who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Laois , were winners at this year’s National Enterprise Awards. The awards, which took place at the Mansion House in Dublin, are in their 23^rd year and run annually by the Local Enterprise Offices.

Laois Finalist, Salutem Insights Limited took home the Mid East Regional award at last Thursdays National Enterprise Awards.

Salutem Insights is a health economic and market access company, who support the healthcare sector with in-depth analysis, interpretation, and communication of clinical and health economic data.

They provide all types of health economic and outcomes research, such as health technology assessment (HTA) submissions, burden of illness reports, systematic reviews, and economic models. They also provide training to both industry and academic institutions on health economics, economic modelling and on ensuring that the high standards required for completion of HTA submissions are met.

Their senior experts are materially involved in all projects and have a substantive role in all deliverables, where they balance scientific and academic expertise with commercial and strategic awareness. They put significant importance on their engagement with their clients as they realise its paramount to the success of any project.

Congratulating the local winners, Honor Deevy, Acting Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Laois said:  “The National Enterprise Awards are an annual celebration of the achievements of Ireland’s small businesses and Salutem Insights Ltd. are very deserving winners of this award, because of the impact that they have already made on their sector. Local Enterprise Office Laois is proud to have supported them along their journey to success.”

Sandra Redmond, Managing Director of Salutem Insights Ltd. said : ‘We were delighted to represent Laois at the National Finals and to win a regional award is fantastic. We couldn’t have done this without the help and assistance from LEO in Laois as they have been an invaluable resource and support to us since we started this journey. I would like to take this opportunity to thank John Mullholland, Evelyn Reddin, Honor Deevy, Linda Meredith and Mark Clancy for all their guidance and encouragement in the last few years’

The overall winner at the National Enterprise Awards was Wicklow aquaculture and offshore wind company, Aqualicense.  Established in 2019 by Kate Dempsey the company has gone from strength to strength.

The company engages in consultation, planning, legal compliance and project delivery on behalf of companies in the aquaculture and offshore renewable energy industries.

They expanded their operations into the highly regulated offshore renewable energy sector in 2021 which has helped the company grow considerably and they are now looking to expand their expertise into new markets internationally.

Several other companies won across a range of categories at the Awards, which were established by the Local Enterprise Offices to celebrate the impact and quality of small businesses across the country.

The Best Start-Up category was won by Acoustic Interiors supported by Local Enterprise Office Offaly.  The business improves the health, wellbeing and productivity of people through intelligent acoustic design and fit-out of homes, offices and buildings.

The Green/Sustainability Award went to Cirtex, supported by Local Enterprise Office Longford.  The company have created a closed-loop manufacturing business that upcycles the materials from duvets and mattresses, most of which are imported, to be reused in new products.

The Best Export category was won by Professional Hair Labs supported by Local Enterprise Office Wexford.  The family run business is a manufacturer and distributor of cosmetic products including GHOSTBOND, the world’s leading product for hair adhesive solutions.

The Innovation Award went to Cubbie who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Mayo.  The installation, which is in over 200 schools across Ireland, enables students with neurodiversity or sensory challenges to regulate their senses with a bespoke programme to ensure their learning and academic experience is not adversely affected.

Finally, the One to Watch Award was taken by Streat School supported by Local Enterprise Office Monaghan.  The business provides an end-to-end solution for those looking to enter the street food business, providing equipment, workshops and branding materials.

This year’s winners share a €50,000 investment fund and eight regional winners were also announced on the night.  Those winners are –

• Farmony in the Dublin Region (backed by LEO Fingal)
• Torpey in the South West Region (backed by LEO Clare)
• Salutem Insights in the Mid East Region (backed by LEO Laois)
• SmartRoutes in the South Region (backed by LEO Cork City)
• FeedAlpha in the South East Region (backed by LEO Carlow)
• Tantek 4D in the North West Region (backed by LEO Sligo)
• Aine’s Chocolate in the North East Region (backed by LEO Cavan)
• Studio Meala in the West Region (backed by LEO Roscommon)

There was also an Outstanding Achievement Award presented on the night to an individual or company who has excelled in recent years.  This award went to ABC Nutritionals from Clare.  The Shannon based business, established in 2007 are a private label manufacturer of sports, weight management and lifestyle nutrition products.  They have double their workforce and turnover since 2018 with 68 now employed and hope to reach 100 by 2025 with a new facility in development.

Previous winners of the National Enterprise Awards include Irish Yoghurts (1998), Obelisk (2000), Simtech Aviation (2008), Digiweb (2004) and Design Pro (2013), Terra NutriTech (2018) and Pestle & Mortar (2019).  The last winners in 2021 were Bevcraft, who were supported by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath.  Europe’s only mobile canning company have gone from strength to strength since winning the award, opening new hubs across the continent.

The National Enterprise Awards are one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 20,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information see www.LocalEnterprise.ie

Laois County Council is currently seeking expressions of interest from businesses located in Laois who are interested in being represented in the “Laois County Council” marquee at the National Ploughing Championships 2022.

Laois County Council would like to hear from Laois companies who would like to showcase their products in the “Laois “ marquee  and we are particularly interested in local craft makers and  artisan food/drink  producers.

Companies who are interested should complete the online expression of interest form at https://submit.link/Xu. Please note that it will only be possible to choose a limited number of companies due to the amount of space available.

For any queries on this scheme please contact Dom Reddin / Elaine Moore at Laois County Council – Telephone : 0578664218

The vacant commercial property incentive scheme is being introduced to encourage the use of vacant commercial premises within the designated town centre of Portlaoise.  This scheme incentivises new businesses to occupy vacant premises by lowering entry costs in the form of a range of grants and mentoring opportunities. The scheme is being introduced in association with Laois Chamber as a pilot scheme and it aligns closely with the Government’s new Town Centre First policy.

The Scheme is open to newly established retail businesses setting up within Portlaoise town centre, existing retail businesses relocating or expanding from outside Portlaoise or an existing retail business maintaining their current location and expanding into a new location within Portlaoise.

The scheme includes a potential package of 11 different financial and mentoring opportunities for businesses.

• Shop Front Grant Improvement & Accessibility Scheme
• Business Incentive Scheme
• Façade Enhancement Scheme
• Early payment Incentive Scheme
• Shop Fit Out Grant Scheme
• Retail Enhancement Support Programme
• Get your business online
• Green your Retail Offering
• Lean Your Business
• Business Promotion Package with Laois Chamber
• Complimentary HR Advice Session with Iridium HR.

All of the above grants/schemes are subject to individual terms and conditions.

If you would like to apply for the scheme and/or get more details concerning the Portlaoise Vacant Commercial Property Incentive Scheme, please complete this expression of interest form:

https://submit.link/OA

Applications are invited from within the following towns and villages for funding of streetscape and shopfront enhancement projects under the 2021/2022 Town and Village Streetscape Enhancement scheme:

• Mountrath
• Mountmellick
• Rathdowney
• Ballinakill
• Ballylinan

Our Rural Future is the Government’s five-year strategy to revitalise rural Ireland and includes a commitment to upgrade and enhance shopfronts and street facades in our rural towns and villages. This activity will be funded by the Department of Rural & Community Development (DRCD) through this 2021/2022 Streetscape Enhancement Measure. This is an additional Measure introduced as part of the Town & Village Renewal Scheme. €7 million is being made available under this Measure in 2022. Improving the visual appearance of our urban streetscapes increases pride and confidence in our home towns and villages, making them more attractive places to live, work and do business. For more information please click here.

In accordance with the Government’s five year strategy ” Our Rural Future” to revitalise rural Ireland, Laois County Council is seeking to improve the streetscape of the following 5 towns – Mountrath, Mountmellick, Rathdowney, Ballinakill and Ballylinan. The Business Support Unit are now accepting online applications only  for this scheme. The scheme is available to both commercial and residential premises. The closing date for receipt of applications is Tuesday 7th September at 5:00pm. For further details contact Denise Rainey / Sheila Cahill in Laois County Council’s Business Support Unit  0578664103 / 0578664015 or email  businesssupport@laoiscoco.ie

https://laois.ie/departments/business-and-economic-development/town-and-village-streetscape-enhancement-scheme-2021/

Today marks the 3rd of October which means Laois TASTE Month is about to begin. Here’s what you can expect during week 1 of Laois Taste Month!

Location – Local Enterprise Office County, Áras an Chontae, Portlaoise, Co. Laois

For those of you wishing to enhance your business and at the same time have an opportunity to network with other businesses in the County, the Local Enterprise Office is running a number of free training programmes specifically designed for the food/drinks sector during the month of October.

On Friday the 4^th of October LEO Laois are hosting a free training course on how to use instagram for Food & Drink Producers. Instagram is Ireland’s fastest growing mainstream social network.  This type of media is primarily a visual platform involving the sharing of videos and pictures to help form a more personal connection with your target audience. It is ideally suited for food and drinks producers. This training course will explain how to use Instagram as a marketing tool for your business.  It will explain how to set up a business account, how to brand it, how to create inspiring and engaging content, how to grow your followers and create ad campaigns and how to use it as a marketing tool.

Spaces are limited so book now to avoid disappointment: https://www.localenterprise.ie/Laois/Training-Events/Online-Bookings/T1949-Instagram-for-Food-And-Drinks-Producers.html

Other courses scheduled throughout the month can be booked online through www.localenterprise.ie/laois and to celebrate Laois Taste Month, the Local Enterprise Office is offering them free of charge to any food/drinks business in Co. Laois.   As places are limited, early booking is advisable.

Location – Ballykilcavan Brewery, Ballykilcavan, Co. Laois

Join Ballykilcavan Brewery on Sunday the 6^th of October  at 10am to get a tour of the hop garden and then help to pick the bittering and aroma hops straight from the bines. We’ll collect them all together, and then bring them back to the brewery (which is only 400 metres away), and you can experience the smells and sounds of a full brew day as we add the freshly collected hops to the beer. While the brewers are working away, there’ll be a BBQ lunch and a chance to enjoy a few Ballykilcavan beers. Free entry and suitable for all. Please bring wellies or good footwear and a pair gardening gloves.

This event is free and has limited spaces available. Booking is essential through their website https://www.ballykilcavan.com/tours.html

For more information on all the events taking place during Laois Taste Month this October you can download or events brochure check out the Laois TASTE Month 2019 brochure!

The events of Laois Taste Month are proudly supported by Connect2Laois, Laois County Council, the Local Enterprise Office and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. For more information see or @LaoisCountyCouncil on Facebook or @connect2laois on Twitter.

Food Futures 2030

The Heritage Killenard, March 21^st 2018

The first ever Food Futures 2030 event will take place in the Heritage Killenard on March 21^st 2018.  The event is being run by Laois County Council in conjunction with Laois LEO and Laois Partnership, as part of the Connect 2 Laois for Food programme.  This exciting event will bring food service operators, food producers and buyers together under the one roof.

                                               Event Programme

Food Futures 2030 is a must attend industry event targeting buyers, suppliers and those working in the food, tourism, hospitality & retail sectors.  If you are thinking of starting a business in the food or hospitality business, join us to hear our exciting speakers, panel discussions and Showcase of Laois food.  Registration is essential.  Spaces limited. Lunch will be included on the day.

We look forward to seeing you there. Bookings can be made on:  https://www.localenterprise.ie/Laois/

Further details can be obtained directly from:

Liz Kennedy

Connect 2 Laois for Food

REDZ Project Co-ordinator

Laois County Council

Phone 086 174 6370

Are you commuting outside Laois to work or do you know someone who is commuting? Laois County Council is inviting you to take a few minutes to complete our Laois Commuter Survey.

The purpose of the survey is to help Laois County Council  gather useful information on the skills and educational  qualifications of Laois Commuters which can be used as a marketing tool when promoting Laois as a place to do business.

Have your say and be in with a chance to win a voucher for the Midlands Park Hotel.   The link to the survey is :

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LaoisCommuterSurvey2018

Any queries regarding the survey can be referred to Denise Rainey, Business Support Unit, Laois County Council, or drainey@laoiscoco.ie