Kerry Entrepreneur Development

Minister Micheal Martin Announces €6.74m Investment in 22 Community Enterprise Centres throughout Ireland – 3 New Centres to be Built in Kerry
“Community Enterprise Centres provide essential support for entrepreneurship in urban and rural areas”- Martin
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Micheál Martin T.D today (Monday 19 November 2007) announced a €6.74m investment in 22 Community Enterprise Centre projects under the first round of Enterprise Ireland’s €21m Community Enterprise Scheme 2007-2009.
Making the announcement the Minister said:
“Community Enterprise Centres are a truly unique partnership between local communities and Enterprise Ireland and provide essential support for entrepreneurship in urban and rural areas. In April 2007 I announced the provision of €21m for investment under a new Community Enterprise Centre scheme for the period 2007-2009, to be managed by Enterprise Ireland.”
“I am delighted to announce a €6.74m investment in 22 Community Enterprise Centre projects under the first round of the new scheme, just eight months later. I would like to sincerely congratulate the 22 successful applicants who represent community groups from Inishowen to Farranfore”
“Community enterprise centres have a real and measurable impact on the economic and social development of local communities, not least through employment creation. Findings from a survey conducted by Enterprise Ireland report that in 2007, the 105 completed community enterprise centres in Ireland supported almost 1,000 enterprises that in turn employ 4,850 people” the Minister concluded.
Three Kerry projects were successful in this round of grant funding for Community enterprise centres. The new Kerry Enterprise Centres will be located in Farranfore, Kenmare and Kilgarvan. The successful groups are:
-          Farranfore Enterprise Centre Development Group – Capital grant of €450,000 plus Management grant of €50,000.
-          Roughty Valley Pig Co-operative Society, Kilgarvan – Capital grant of €270,000.
-          Kenmare Livestock Mart Co-Op Society, Kenmare – Capital grant of €190,260, plus a Management grant of €50,000 to be shared with the Kilgarvan Centre.

European Space Agency coming to Kerry to encourage companies to get involved in its funding programmes
 
The South West Regional Authority has invited the European Space Agency to present at two evening seminars in Cork (November 20th) and Kerry (November 21st) to raise awareness of the potential for companies, research organisations and the public sector to get involved in range of ESA Programmes including the Advanced Research in Telecommunication Systems Programme ARTES. 
 
Companies might not traditionally see themselves working on ESA funded programmes but support is not limited to satellite based businesses or research. It is also for applications such as distance learning, tele-medicine, emergency response systems, marine and maritime issues, security, environmental monitoring, transport logistics, multi-casting, triple-play broadband and telecommunications. The main criterion is that they must make use of telecommunication satellites.
 
The two events are being organised as part of the SWRA’s DRIVE for Growth Project – which is working on creating greater linkages between businesses and public research organisations in Cork and Kerry. For more information log onto www.driveproject.eu.  According to Sinead Crowley Projects Manager, SWRA, ‘There is considerable opportunity for companies, research organisations and the public sector to get involved in ESA funded programmes and the SWRA would like to see the emergence of a cluster of companies and research expertise in the region working in this area.’
 
If you are a company, researcher or working in the public sector and are interested in hearing more then contact Sinead Crowley or Sinead Byrne at the South West Regional Authority email: drive@swra.ie tel: 021 4876877 fax: 021 4876872