man applying for funds

Support when it’s needed most

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) has launched a range of supports for employers and people who have lost work and income in order to support them during the COVID-19 crisis. These include the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment.

 

Pandemic Unemployment Support

The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is an emergency payment of €350 per week introduced by the Government in response to the numbers of people who have lost employment on foot of the pandemic. It is designed to quickly get thousands of people into payment.

According to the DEASP, all workers, including the self-employed, are eligible to apply for this emergency payment provided they are aged between 18 and 66 and have lost employment – or temporarily ceased trading if self-employed – due to the pandemic, and live in the Republic of Ireland.

To be eligible, workers must have been in employment or self-employment immediately before Friday 13 March and have been temporarily laid off from work, and are not in receipt of any employment income. For employees, their employer must not be in a position to retain them on the payroll.

 

Apply online for quick payment

The quickest and easiest way to apply for the emergency COVID-19 payment is to apply online at MyWelfare.ie All that is required is for the individual to have an email address, a bank account and a PPSN. Simply go onto the COVID-19 Services section of the website and apply for the payment. You will have to set up an account, but it is a simple and straightforward process.

The DEASP advises those with an adult dependent and one or more dependent children to apply for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and then apply Jobseeker’s Benefit instead, as this will pay more than the €350 available under the COVID-19 scheme.

 

Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment

The Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment is available to workers who have been told to self-isolate by a doctor or the HSE, or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a doctor. To be eligible for this payment, a person must be confined to their home or a medical facility. The rate for this payment is €350, as compared with the normal Illness Benefit rate of €203. It will be paid for a maximum of two weeks where a person is self-isolating and for a maximum of 10 weeks if a person has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

A doctor will complete a medical certificate on the person’s behalf and send it directly to the DEASP. Alternatively, where the person has been advised by the HSE to self-isolate, they will need to submit a copy of the HSE notification with their Illness Benefit application form.

Once again, the quickest and easiest way to apply for the payment is by applying online at MyWelfare.ie

 

Short Time Work Support

Another payment available to workers is Short Time Work Support. This is a form of Jobseeker’s Benefit for people temporarily placed on a shorter working week. The payment is made in respect of the person’s regular salary for the days that they are no longer working. For example, if their working week has been reduced from a five-day work pattern to three days, they can receive support for the other two days. Payment is proportionate to the €203 Jobseeker’s Benefit rate.

People can apply for Short Time Work Support by applying at their local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

 

Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme

Operated by Revenue, the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme is an innovative initiative to support companies to retain employees and to re-employ employees who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the terms of the scheme, employers will be refunded 70% of an employee’s wages – up to a level of €410 per week.

The subsidy scheme applies both to employers who top up employees’ wages and those who aren’t in a position to do so. Employers make the support payment to their employees through their normal payroll process and will then be reimbursed by Revenue within two working days of receipt of the payroll submission.

The scheme is available to employers from all sectors (excluding the public service and non-commercial semi-state sector) whose business activities are being adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To qualify for the scheme, employers must be experiencing significant negative economic disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic; be able to demonstrate, to the satisfaction of Revenue, a minimum of a 25% decline in turnover; be unable to pay normal wages and normal outgoings fully; and retain their employees on the payroll.

Revenue has made it clear that declarations made under the scheme are not declarations of insolvency.

Employers wishing to register for the scheme can apply to Revenue through ROS myEnquiries on the COVID-19: Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy section.

Industry Bulletin Construction

Market Watch Industry Bulletin – Construction

Construction Bulletin

Download the bulletin here.

Enterprise Ireland construction companies are experiencing unprecedented market disruption both domestically and across international markets.

In this first bulletin, we look at the movement of labour and materials, restrictions on access to sites, market supports and the projected implications of shutdown where this has occurred.

 

 

 

Market Watch Germany – Webinar – Covid-19 challenges and market sentiment

Market View Germany

Enterprise Ireland’s offices in Germany have launched a series of Webinars; Market Watch Germany, to help Irish companies exporting to Germany navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by Covid 19.

The first webinar on Friday April 3 looked at overall market sentiment and the German Government support package for companies facing acute difficulties in light of Covid-19. We were joined by market, legal and tax experts from Germany Trade & Invest, SHWP Tax & Law and MHL Law.

 

Marina Donohoe

Market Watch – A view from the UK, Central & Northern Europe

There is no doubt that COVID-19 is making its presence felt with businesses across the globe feeling its impact and Marina Donohoe, Regional Director, UK, Central and Northern Europe, says Enterprise Ireland clients in the region are no different.

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Great uncertainty on how deep the recession might be and its length makes it a particularly challenging time for Irish industry. 
  • Restriction of movement is causing further issues for Irish exporters.
  • Prepare for the upturn – invest in client and partner relationships to secure existing business and research potential new opportunities to emerge now and post the crisis.

 

“Restrictions on movement of people is impacting on clients’ ability to respond to customer and partner needs,” says Donohoe. “Market confidence and demand has been eroded, and deals are being lost while fund raising plans have been curtailed or stalled. There is great uncertainty on how deep the recession will be and how long it will last, and this makes for a particularly challenging time for Irish industry.

“Enterprise Ireland has eight offices across the region which are working closely with clients on a one-to-one basis to support them throughout this difficult period focusing on sustaining existing and securing new business where possible.” says Donohoe.

 

Strengthening partnerships

Donohoe says it’s vital for companies to stay connected by keeping abreast of what is going on, exploring the possibilities of virtual business and continuing to invest in client/partner relationships.

“It’s a time to listen and learn about the problems your clients are experiencing and how together you may find potential solutions which strengthen your partnership,” she says. “But also, it’s important to exercise caution when extending credit, especially when your business partners are relatively new, and you’re not familiar with their current liquidity position.

“So, I would encourage companies to actively research the marketing issues their clients are facing, seek out information on the current situation from trusted sources like the WHO or local government departments. And continue to invest in marketing because while industries globally are in crisis mode, they are still seeking solutions to trade so with heavy restrictions on travel, focus on virtual meetings and as a means of engaging prospective new customers.”

 

Global supports for business

While it is undoubtedly a difficult time in business, the regional director says there have been many supports put in place across UK, Central & Northern Europe and Russia.

“A variety of measures have been adopted by the British and other European governments,” she says. “Each country is offering a range of specific supports including loans, wage subsidies or guarantees and these may be relevant for Irish companies with a presence overseas. OECD provides a regularly updated Country Policy Tracker to help navigate the global policy response and provides information on travel, border crossings and general health advice.

 

Key sectors facing challenges

“Many sectors are severely impacted such as the tourism and hospitality trade, personal and professional services and certain areas of the financial and manufacturing sectors.

“Transport is also a major concern and although some countries (e.g. UK and Sweden) have not closed their borders, many others have created temporary regimes which are causing problems for road deliveries – logistics details can be found here.

With all these added complications, doing business can be difficult for Irish exporters and Enterprise Ireland is currently preparing sectoral market insights which will be shared with clients and updated weekly to provide view on market conditions, government supports etc.  Details on public sector contracts and offers can be seen on this platform and also on the GOV.UK site.

 

Opportunities for growth

Donohoe also says there are still opportunities for growth but in a few core sectors:

“The healthcare, pharma, digital services and medical device sectors are still experiencing growth and Enterprise Ireland has been fielding requests for solutions in this area,” she says. “Similarly, solution providers for retail, BPOs, food production and office solutions may also see some growth.” 

“As markets and sectors emerge from this crisis with expected fundamental shifts in consumer/business needs it is a time to also prepare for these changes. Ireland’s SMEs have demonstrated resilience and flexibility by adapting to Brexit challenges and a global recession so remaining agile will be an advantage”.

No-one knows when the crisis will be over, but Donohoe says it’s vital for Irish exporters to stay connected and prepare for the reopening of markets.

“Utilise all digital tools to deepen relationships and promote your business,” she advises. “Prepare for the upturn to secure existing business and research potential new opportunities to emerge now and post the crisis.

“Business and consumer demand will change so investment in research, new idea validation, competitor analysis and the development of strong market development plans will all position Enterprise Ireland clients for the next global economic growth cycle.  Enterprise Ireland’s executives across the 8 offices in UK, Central & Northern Europe are on hand to support you through this exceptionally difficult and unprecedented period.”

Marina Donohoe is Enterprise Ireland’s Regional Director for the UK, Central and Northern Europe. To learn more about the steps companies can take to address the impact of Covid-19 visit our business supports page.

Anne Lanigan Enterprise Ireland

Market Watch – A view from the Eurozone

Anne Lanigan, Director of the EurozoneThere is no doubt that the impact of COVID-19 on mainland Europe has been profound with most countries operating on a skeleton crew of essential businesses and services. However, Anne Lanigan, Regional Director, Eurozone, for Enterprise Ireland, says goods are still moving and it is possible to do business.

 

Key Takeaways:

  • The situation is evolving daily and the 45 strong Enterprise Ireland team on the ground in the Eurozone are working and available as normal, albeit remotely to be of assistance.
  • Business is still moving although slower, particularly in the Medtech, Pharma, Construction, Food, eCommerce and other services sectors.
  • The innovation, flexibility and commitment of Irish companies will help them survive this crisis.

 

“A lot of sectors have been very badly hit, particularly in the hospitality, aerospace and automotive sectors,” she says. “High tech construction of pharma facilities and data centres is still continuing, with some challenges in Germany and the Netherlands. Pharma, Medtech and Food still continue as best they can, and we have good examples of clients in the technology, eCommerce and employee engagement sectors who are experiencing growth. However, for many sectors things are likely to get worse before they get better.”

“I would encourage Irish exporters to make contact with customers, partners and distributors. Communication is crucial at this point. Getting an understanding of the situation your customers are in will help you in forward planning and may help you to deliver an immediate or different solution. In addition, the contact you make now will be appreciated and remembered once we are over this crisis.”

Speaking to customers over the telephone or in a virtual meeting, rather than by email, will offer a much better opportunity to engage and get insights into their situation, what their future plans are and how you might feature in those future plans.

Depending on staff availability and the level of slowdown, Lanigan says some businesses may be able to use this time to build their export capability.

“This could be an opportunity to do market research, a very important element of successful exporting” she advises. “This crisis is temporary so fundamentally it’s still important to validate markets and sectors for your products and services, carry out competitive analysis, build a pricing and communication strategy and develop a strong market development plan.

Doing an online language course for an hour every day might also be a welcome break away from home working while also building up a necessary skillset for exporting to Europe.”

The Eurozone director says there are many supports available to Enterprise Ireland clients as well as government supports available to all companies. These can be found on the Enterprise Ireland Covid-19 business response pages and new supports will be added as soon as they become available. Specific market supports such as the Market Discovery Fund are of course still all available. And Eurozone Market Advisors can provide specific information on supports available locally in their markets.

“Alongside the obvious market challenges, we are seeing a number of other challenges. Our clients are in some cases finding it difficult to engage with customers who are busy trying to resolve their own internal problems,” she says. “Movement of product is also more complicated as extra paperwork is required in some locations. It’s also difficult to get clarity regarding the movement of people as the situation is evolving. However, we continue to assist client companies in meeting buyers (virtually), and we are seeing business deals– it’s not anything close to normal but it is still moving.”

“In addition, in every crisis there are opportunities. Irish companies are typically highly innovative and are quick to pivot. Our clients are known for their flexibility and can change focus quite quickly so there is the possibility to adapt products and services to win business in new markets and new sectors.

Lanigan says the key to surviving this crisis is to stay close to customers, demonstrate flexibility, and be innovative:

Markets will start to open again so we need to ensure that we are ready to get going when we come out of this crisis.”

“Enterprise Ireland Market Advisers are available to help. Our team across the Eurozone are working remotely and contactable by phone or email for one-to-one support. Our priorities are to respond to particular requests from clients and to proactively support clients to continue to do business. In addition to supporting contact with customers, distributors and partners, Market Advisors can also provide advice and help with local market knowledge on the evolving situation and help deal with particular issues as they arise. If you haven’t had recent contact with your Enterprise Ireland Market Advisers please get in touch with your Development Adviser who will make the introduction.”

Irish companies are known across Europe for being innovative, flexible, easy to work with and committed. These characteristics will stand to us and help us through this difficult period.” says Lanigan.

 

Building an online presence in Germany

Building your German online presence – Best practice in localisation and eCommerce

Building an online presence in Germany

 

Selecting the route to market can be one of the main challenges for any business looking to export to Germany. While in the past there may have been a preferred or single route to market, businesses are achieving success using multi-channel approach to engage the market at different levels.

Enterprise Ireland’s team in Germany has seen the importance of online to not only sell products and services but also to support the German customer in their buying journey. Buying decision are often made well in advance of the first contact. Your online presence is a key factor in informing and influencing your customer about your business and why they should consider you for their needs.

Enterprise Ireland has vast experience in advising businesses on German customers’ perspectives and expectations and how to develop an effective German online presence. In conjunction with Glocafy, Enterprise Ireland has developed this Best Practice guide with sectoral insights and advice from companies already trading in Germany.

Help your business to succeed locally, download your Best Practice Guide to Building your German online presence.

Scale 21 – Helping businesses to get established in the UK

The UK has always been and remains Irelands largest single trading partner with a wealth of opportunities for Irish companies.

To support Irish companies to establish themselves in the UK, Enterprise Ireland has run the Scale UK mentoring programme since 2012.

This year’s Scale 21 invites companies to advance their businesses by finessing their strategies, developing their UK messaging, analysing their sales channels and becoming pitch ready with inputs from our experienced mentors.

Download more information on Scale 21 or watch our programme overview below.

Gain insights from a previous participant and mentor who discuss their experiences with Scale UK.

Gillian Doyle, CEO Cerebreon discusses her experience of participating on Scale UK and gives her advice for companies applying for next year’s programme.

Carol Ward, President at Man GLG and Scale UK mentor shares her experience of Scale UK, working with fellow mentors and Irish diaspora and the importance of supporting companies with growth ambition for the UK.

 

To learn more about the Scale 21 programme download our guide.

Portwest – targeting new markets with GradStart

GradStart

 

Bringing linguistic graduates onboard allowed us to bring in talent that could research Spanish and French speaking territories, and open opportunities for our sales teams, which contributed to our target of 20% growth.

Deirdre Clarke, HR Manager, Portwest

Overview:

  • Portwest is a market leader in the design and manufacture of stylish, comfortable, high-quality workwear that meets recognised international standards.
  • With customer support staff in over 120 countries, the company used Enterprise Ireland’s GradStart initiative to attract fresh graduate talent with French and Spanish language skills to research new markets and drive business activity.
  • The GradStart programme offers salary support of up to 70% for the employment of graduate talent to assist companies when expanding into new markets.

 

1. What attracted you to get involved in GradStart?

We are very fortunate to have a great Development Advisor (DA), who consistently keeps us informed of programs which may be of benefit to our specific business. As we had already taken part in the similar G4IG program, we felt that GradStart would be another fantastic initiative from Enterprise Ireland to help with the development and international growth of our business. At that time we were also in the process of developing a formal Portwest Graduate Program. The timing was ideal for us as GradStart gave us the additional option of introducing a linguistic element to this program.

 

2. What did GradStart allow you to do that you wouldn’t have done otherwise?

GradStart allowed us to provide opportunities to newly qualified graduates at our headquarters here in the West of Ireland, and to include a linguistic dimension to our commercial team which up to now was 100% English speaking. We now have two talented graduates with French and Spanish capabilities who are able to help us explore new market opportunities In particularly across South America and Mexico.

 

3. What challenges and/or opportunities did GradStart help you address?

We had struggled with the exploration of non-English speaking markets. Bringing linguistic graduates onboard allowed us to bring in talent that could research Spanish and French speaking territories, and open opportunities for our sales teams, which contributed to our target of 20% growth. In turn, this allowed us to provide further job opportunities in these regions as we were able to justify the recruitment of sales staff to follow through on the opportunities identified by our graduates.

 

4. Which areas of the business did the graduate contribute to?

Market research and explorative work in heretofore unexplored territories. This is ongoing and while GradStart partially funds the salaries for such graduates for a two year period, we would envisage the continuation of such due to the success of these roles and how the program helps contribute to Portwest’s growth.

 

5. Were there any learnings from your participation in GradStart that you have taken forward into your business.

We have learned that only hiring experienced staff with x years’ experience in x industry can be limiting. Hiring graduates with their fresh approach and up to date knowledge of their areas of expertise can truly contribute in a meaningful way to our corporate goals. Furthermore, the satisfaction of being able to bring these graduates straight from college to management roles within such a short space of time is highly rewarding for any employer. We currently have graduates in managerial positions in our sites in Australia, USA and HQ and will look to add Europe and the UK to this as part of our 2020 Graduate program.

 

6. Would you recommend GradStart to your business peers? If so, why?

This is a fantastic way to introduce a graduate program to your company if you do not already have one. We had previously brought in graduates on an ad hoc basis, but between G4IG and now GradStart, this meant that we were able to formalise a program and become confident in our offering. This is a fantastic opportunity for any graduate looking to kick-start their career and with Enterprise Ireland funding, it is wonderful that businesses can get involved in such a great initiative.

 

7. Which languages were the graduates skilled in?

French and Spanish.

 

8. Have you stayed in touch with the graduate?

Yes – our graduates are still with us as they joined us in September 2019 for a two year period. One graduate will remain on site here at Portwest HQ while the other, following an initial training period at Portwest headquarters, has now relocated to our Kentucky office where they will continue to work with our Sales, Commercial and Marketing teams on exploring new markets. We see this as an ongoing project now, and a model which we would hope to continue after our current GradStart program is complete.

Learn more about GradStart and how it can support your business growth.

Evolve UK – New UK importing rules with HMRC – Establishing a UK presence webinar

 

The Evolve UK webinar series highlights the opportunities for Irish companies interested in doing business with the UK.

This webinar examines the upcoming rule changes to importing into the UK with insights from

– Deirdre McPartlin, UK Manager at Enterprise Ireland

– Margaret Whitby, Head of Stakeholder Engagement at BPDG

– Claire Wilson, Stakeholder Engagement at HMRC Customs and Borders unit

– Ruth Potter, Partner at Ecovis

– Gerry Collins, Managing Partner at Ecovis

Access key insights from sectoral experts with the Evolve UK webinar series.

Regulations in the German healthcare sector

    The German healthcare market is the largest in Europe offering ample opportunities for Irish medtech and e-health businesses.

    This webinar is chaired by Enterprise Ireland  Market Advisor Nicol Hoppe and will examine

    • accessing opportunities in the German market

    • the opportunities emerging with digitalisation

    • how to manage budgets and timelines effectively

    with expert insights from:

    • Christoph Bischoff-Everding of HGC

    • Andrea Seidel of Dr. Seidel Lifesciences

    Read how Flynn built its international presence

    This time last year, none of us were aware of the disaster which was about to unfold across the globe. But 12 months on, industry across every sector is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic which continues to make its presence felt.

    But while some businesses were affected more than others, the construction sector in many areas of the world, has continued to carry out essential works and this, according to Cormac McKenna of Flynn, a Dublin based international construction company, has been beneficial for many companies which have expanded outside Ireland.

    “We have been active in mainland Europe for four years and have branches in Denmark and Germany,” says McKenna, who has been with the company for 12 years. “We are predominantly in the data centre sector in mainland Europe and our offices have a blend of both Irish and local staff.

    “We have also been active in the UK for nearly three years and have a regional office in London, servicing this market in the general contracting, fit-out and data centre markets.”

    McKenna, a director with Flynn, oversees operations in Dublin and mainland Europe and says the move outside Ireland came about as a result of building on existing relationships and pitching the expertise the firm was confident would add value to European and UK projects.

    “Our network of clients, design teams and traditional contactor partners have brought us data centre opportunities in Denmark initially – and these led to further operations in Northern Europe, the Nordics and the Benelux regions,” he says. “We are fortunate to have been able to continue working in Europe during the pandemic as it affected Irish business badly because the sector has been shut down twice during national lockdowns.

    “Construction has continued in both the UK and Germany and because we have been working on data centres, which are deemed essential.

    The main difficulty has been getting workforce to and from sites as every jurisdiction has its own restrictions – so in some places there are quarantine regulations and in other countries, there is a requirement to provide a negative PCR test. Everywhere is different, but you just have to roll with the punches, be nimble and able to change approach as and when is necessary. And we have relied heavily on our workforce to be flexible in their approach.”

    Of course it hasn’t all been plain sailing as operating in different countries can be challenging, even without a global pandemic.

    “Apart from the obvious challenges to be overcome such as supply chain, logistics, legislative issues, taxation, industrial relations and nuances in the construction regulations in any new jurisdiction we enter, working overseas also raises the additional challenge of ensuring that operations in remote locations are delivered with same culture and quality that we insist on,” says McKenna.

     

    Building an international presence

    “The main issues we have faced were around sourcing supply chain and getting to grips with local legislation from an industrial relations perspective and contract law perspective. But our auditors and accountants are Grant Thornton who have an international presence, which gives us a lot of satisfaction and comfort in knowing that our approach is correct.

    “We have opened offices in London, Copenhagen and Frankfurt. And Enterprise Ireland and our international auditors and accountants have been key to the successful establishment of a foothold in these markets.  The key to success has also been leaning heavily on our network and ensuring we asked plenty of questions of the right people.”

    Along with keeping its European interests ticking over, Flynn has also been looking after its clients here at home – but the various lockdowns have made this difficult at times.

    “Like all businesses in construction, Covid 19 has affected our operations,” says McKenna. “We, like many companies, have faced difficulties and have faced additional costs for control measures and also to cover for staff who either contracted Covid or were close contacts of someone with the virus.  But we managed to get through the past year by investing in people and systems along with physical controls on our sites to ensure we have industry leading controls and management systems in place.

    “Our business had well tested systems for remote working and collaboration to allow our project teams and regional offices to communicate effectively.  And as working restrictions were imposed, these existing systems have paid real dividends and we feel we are working as effectively as possible while keeping our teams safe.

    The Dublin based firm has been in business for over 16 years and prides itself in the quality of its people and the prestige of its clients.  And according to McKenna, Enterprise Ireland has helped with this success.

    “Flynn is predominantly a main contractor but over the past five years we have brought our main contracting experience to package contracting in the Hyperscale Data Centre Market,” says the company director. “And we feel the expertise in bringing teams of trusted trade contractors together and managing the entire CSA solution for our clients, brings tangible added value to any Hyperscale DC we have been involved in.

    “Enterprise Ireland has been a key partner in our international growth. Their representatives are always at the end of the phone for advice and have provided key introductions in local authorities, supply chain parties and in some instances leads for new business.  They have also provided tangible supports from a training and marketing perspective.

    “In addition, we found the Market Discovery Fund and some of the supports we got in the marketing field to be very effective. Some of the introductions they made for us in both Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and the UK was a great help. And also, just having someone at the other end of the phone to bounce ideas off, has been invaluable.”

    The company has over 140 employees across Ireland and Europe and is currently looking to further its portfolio with opportunities in Ireland, UK and Mainland Europe. and McKenna says while 2021 may be a difficult time for construction firms to be thinking of expanding abroad, once the current crisis is over, there could be plenty of opportunity for Irish companies.

    “There is a definite advantage to being an Irish company overseas, particularly one with Irish employees as we are known for having the mindset of getting things done,” he says. “In the high tech and data centre world, schedule is key and the Irish work ethic of doing what you say you will do and doing it on time, is a great advantage as we can be trusted to get the job done.

    “Our aim so to grow our client base across Europe, to grow our team and to bring added value to future data centre projects.  My advice to firms thinking of doing the same, would be to complete extensive research in the jurisdiction you are targeting and use the Enterprise Ireland team as they provide a lot of useful information and contacts.”

    Dmac Media Director of Sales

    Dmac Media – attracting new talent with GradStart

    Tech graduates are highly desirable and form a key part of our growth plans.  We had issues competing for that talent and GradStart allowed us to offer a much more attractive package to graduates.”

    Dave McEvoy, Sales Director, Dmac Media

    Overview:

    • Dmac Media is a web design agency offering a full suite of web solutions including web design, eCommerce platforms, content management and digital marketing.
    • With offices in Dublin, Sligo and Cork the company used Enterprise Ireland’s GradStart initiative to attract fresh graduate talent and drive business activity.
    • The GradStart programme offers salary support of up to 70% for the employment of graduate talent to assist companies when expanding into new markets.

    1. What attracted you to get involved in GradStart?

    Tech graduates are highly desirable and form a key part of our growth plans.  We had issues competing for that talent and Enterprise Ireland‘s GradStart allowed us to offer a much more attractive package to graduates.

     

    2. What did GradStart allow you to do that you wouldn’t have done otherwise?

    Bringing in fresh talent to our business allowed us to focus more heavily on business development as a daily activity rather than a paper based plan.

     

    3. What challenges and/or opportunities did GradStart help you address?

    With qualified personnel we had lower training and induction costs this allowed us to keep up in a fast paced sector in a sustainable way.  The challenge (as always) was finding the right graduates.

     

    4. Which areas of the business did the graduate contribute to?

    Our graduates have broadened both our technical skillset as well as our graphic design and process management skills.  The impact was noticeable from day one.

     

    5. How did participating in GradStart impact your business positively?

    GradStart gave us a headstart on developing new products which in turn has brought our entry into new markets considerably closer.

     

    6. Were there any learnings from your participation in GradStart that you have taken forward into your business?

    We have evolved from a company with very standard and fixed methodologies to one that is now willing to experiment and develop better strategies.

     

    7. Would you recommend GradStart to your business peers? If so, why?

    Yes, it gives you time to focus on the business rather than just working in the business.

    Learn more about GradStart and how it can support your business growth.