InterTradeIreland with its partner organisations are holding a series of Meet the Buyer events on :
29 May , Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone
27 September, Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown
8 November, New Park Hotel, Kilkenny

The events start at 8.30am for registration and are FREE to attend.

Throughout each of these events, there will be a number of opportunities for SMEs to meet with public sector buyers from across the island North and South at the Buyer stands.

There will also be representatives from the key business agencies across the island who can advise SMEs on current funding opportunities and business supports available.

Why should SMEs attend?

Hear from public sector buyers, their procurement process, what they want from suppliers and upcoming opportunities
Talk to public sector buyers at the buyers stands
Hear and learn from other companies sharing their experience
Been unsuccessful at tendering in the past, get useful advice and tips from the experts
Find out about the latest procurement news and trends – aggregation of contracts
Network with other companies to form joint ventures and identify sub-contracting opportunities
Find out about funding opportunities and supports available from the main development agencies across the island and how they can help your business access all island public sector opportunities.
Registration for these events will be open at the end of April.
Download a flyer.
For more information on public procurement such as tender workshops, tender alert apps and useful hints and tips visit our website.

I’m pleased to tell you that the details and prices for the So Sligo Food Festival 2012 have been finalised and we are open to stallholders who wish to reserve their space. The booking form is available on our website www.sosligo.com by clicking the link at the end of the home page.
Prices start at €150 per spot for the weekend. The market will be outdoors, not in a marquee. There will be security on site but there is no lockup facility. Contact me please if you have any questions.
Hope to see you there !

Are you at the top of your game ? Click here for details!

This national programme is co-ordinated by Enterprise Ireland which is providing €4.25 million in funding to enable the Institutes of Technology to deliver the programme at a local level. The core element of New Frontiers is a six-month intensive programme which will focus on developing the person’s entrepreneurial abilities, equipping them with the skills they need to run, and crucially to develop, sustainable businesses.

The New Frontiers programme will target high-potential entrepreneurs with the commitment and capability required to develop and deliver sustainable businesses. It is expected that the programme will produce a pipeline of companies eligible for Enterprise Ireland’s high-potential start-up (HPSU) supports.

Nationally 250 applicants will be accepted on to the first phase of the programme where their business idea and their capabilities as a potential entrepreneur will be tested. During this part-time 8 week phase the participants will benefit from workshops on the business value proposition, market research & validation, sales training, financial management.

Of those 250 applicants, 150 will qualify for the six month intensive core element of the programme which will focus on developing the person as an entrepreneur. They will be equipped with the practical skills they need to run a business and challenged to realise their business goals.

Participants will receive financial support of €15,000 from Enterprise Ireland as they focus all their efforts on developing a business during this six-month period. They will also be given office space in the Institute of Technology’s incubation centre, mentoring and access to networking opportunities with potential investors.

For more info or to apply contact:

Janette Gillen – Incubation Centre Manager
Innovation Centre
E-mail: gillen.janette@itsligo.ie
Phone: 071 91 55315
Website: www.itsligo.ie/research-innovation/innovation/

or

Patsy Donaghy – Incubation Centre Manager
CoLab
E-mail: colab@lyit.ie
Phone: 074 9186703
Website: www.co-lab.ie/

Happy days ! Phil Hogan, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government announced today (6th March, 2012) that €5 million in funding will be provided in 2012/2013 to support the creation and development of Agri-Food enterprises in rural Ireland. Based on recent research conducted by the Local Development sector this funding has the potential to create more than 200 jobs directly as well as sustaining a number of jobs currently available in the sector.
This funding, provided under the Adding Value to Agricultural Products measure of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP) will bridge the gap generated when this type of funding was suspended under the Business Creation and Development Measure of the RDP in early 2011 and will provide much needed support to Artisan food producers in Ireland. The funding will be delivered using the “bottom up” LEADER approach through the 35 Local Development Companies contracted to deliver the RDP in Ireland.

TechNorthWest Skillnet are running a Basic Food Hygiene course (EHOA) on Friday 17th February in Letterkenny and have a limited number of spaces available. I have attached a document with course details and a booking form. If this course may be beneficial to your organisation, please fill out the booking form and return to the email address below. Feel free to contact Kieran Griffin if you have any further queries.

Kieran Griffin
Network Administrator 074 9186705
info@technorthwestskillnet.com

INNOVA is an all-island collaborative R&D programme initiated by InterTradeIreland to stimulate, promote and support R&D co-operation between companies, North and South.

This unique cross-border programme offers an opportunity to accelerate new product, process or service developments through partnering with a company in the other jurisdiction. InterTradeIreland has released over €6m to North/South company partnerships to date and we are now looking to support more collaborative innovation projects.

Under the current competition offers to successful partnerships will be up to £250K (or € equivalent) in total per project. Grant aid rates will comply with the relevant EU R&D Framework and State Aid Regulations however aid intensities will be up to 50%, with varying rates for SME & large companies. Final offers will be determined through the rigorous assessment process including independent technical and commercial/financial assessments.

For more details contact Oonagh who will assist with your application for INNOVA funding.

South China University of Technology (SCUT) is establishing a new Food Engineering Research Centre. SCUT is now recruiting high-talented researchers internationally to join the Centre. Further details on the vacancies can be found at http://222.201.132.23:8088/article/art624.htm
Please note that applications should be sent directly to Prof Xin-An Zeng in SCUT at xazeng@scut.edu.cn before 15 February 2012.

The JFC Innovation Awards for Rural Business is up and running again. To be in with a chance of winning this competition, all that is needed is a business idea that is realistic.

The overall award winner will receive €15,000 which includes a cash prize of €5,000, mentoring and business support worth €5,000 and advertising space in the Irish Farmers Journal worth €5,000. There will be up to 12 regional/category prizes worth €1,500 each.

There are four categories for this year’s JFC Innovation Awards for Rural Business, as follows:

· Energy / Manufacturing
· Value Added / Speciality Food
· Services / Rural Tourism
· Startup (not yet trading)

The JFC Innovation Awards for Rural Business application forms are available from Teagasc offices, Irish Farmers Journal and DARD, or from the organisation’s websites: www.teagasc.ie www.ifj.ie http://www.dardni.gov.uk/ruralni

Wishing all my clients and colleagues and very happy, healthy and increasingly prosperous new year! This year is the one for broading out one’s thinking – how else can income be generated ? what else can you offer ? what skills do you have that you’re not using ? what interests do you have that you might monetise ? New approaches may well pay off, and what’s the worst that could happen? You won’t know unless you try. Go for it!