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By Waterford City & County Council

New Head of Enterprise at LEO Waterford

“I hope my experience in building relationships will enable the Local Enterprise Office to play a key role.”

Local Enterprise Office Waterford has a new Head of Enterprise. Gareth Evans, who joined the LEO and started in his new role on November 6th brings a wealth of expertise in enterprise and economic development with him.

With 20 years’ experience working in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, Gareth is looking forward to this new challenge, “Every role and every organisation brings a new set of opportunities and challenges, but I find it always revolves around people. Waterford as a City and Council is on the cusp of some remarkable developments, but this is on the back of years of work by those who have strived to bring Waterford to this stage. The indigenous business community, the multinationals who have made this their home and the organisations who help make it happen, none more so than the team at the Local Enterprise Office.

“I’m excited to take up this position and help the LEO drive Waterford business forward over the next few years. I hope my experience in building relationships will enable the Local Enterprise Office to play a key role. I like to work closely with business partners, building networks across all stakeholders. The onus is on both the public and the private sectors to work together using their unique positions to benefit Waterford going forward.”

Most recently Gareth was the Chief Technical Advisor and Team Leader of a four-year SME development programme in Zambia, funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, operating under the Ministry of SME Development. He also led a team which developed a new national SME development policy and resulted in an increase in inward investment of over £83m, international trade contracts in excess of £25m and an increase in revenues of over 230% for participating businesses.

He was the lead economic development consultant on a programme for rural finance expansion impacting over 600,000 households & businesses, and managed global networks of economic development programmes and microfinance institutions.  “My work has included leading collaborative design workshops with local and national government, the private sector and general public, to produce economic development strategies, policy documents and implementation plans that meet the needs of local communities and businesses in complex and changing environments.”

Gareth can be contacted at Local Enterprise Office Waterford on the Mall in the City or Civic offices in Dungarvan, or via email on gevans@waterfordcouncil.ie if you have any specific queries.

Local Enterprise Office Waterford is here to help you start a business, expand an existing business or reach new markets. It provides advice, information and supports in starting up or growing your business as part of a network of 31 Local Enterprise Offices across Ireland.

ENDS

By Waterford City & County Council

Local Enterprise Office Waterford to celebrate National Women’s Enterprise Day

With the National Women’s Enterprise Day planned for October 19th, Local Enterprise Office Waterford, in collaboration with Network Ireland Waterford branch, Dungarvan West Waterford Chamber and Waterford Chamber will host a networking event at the Mount Congreve House, that promises to inspire and educate the next generation of female entrepreneurs.

This year’s “Empowering Business Together” themed day starts with a welcome reception at 3pm and an opportunity for attendees to get a Professional Headshot taken.

The event will kick off at 3.30pm with a ‘Meet the Media’ panel hosted by Nichola Beresford which will cover how to approach the media, the different mediums and what you should have prepared when approaching the media.

This is followed by afternoon tea in the magnificent setting of the Chinese Room in Mount Congreve House.

Finally, there will be an interactive Empowering Business Together Workshop which will allow attendees to choose what topics are discussed. Participants will be asked what they would like to hear on arrival, and this facilitated workshop will be tailored to the audiences’ needs.

Waterford’s National Women’s Enterprise Day Ambassador, Christine Murphy is founder and Creative Director of Urban Aran, an independent Irish Knitwear business in 2018. Based in Waterford, Urban Aran encapsulates the essence of her brand. The term “Urban” reflects her deep appreciation for urban landscapes. It is the imagery from cityscapes and professional street art in her home city of Waterford to minute detail including peeling paint on walls, which inspires her drawings and designs.

Christine was proud to be asked to be an ambassador for this year’s event, “I have interacted with the LEO for years and attended the NWED before, so was delighted to be asked to be an ambassador. The programme this year as always is geared to support women in business, and I’m thrilled to be involved.”

Brid Kirby, Acting Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Waterford said that the event will be of benefit to any female entrepreneur who is either thinking of starting a business or already in business, “The panellists at this event are highly renowned for assisting businesses in unleashing their potential and identifying opportunities for growth.  Supporting women in enterprise and addressing the key challenges confronting women in business is paramount to ensuring female entrepreneurs realise their full business potential.

“At Local Enterprise Office Waterford we have a broad range of support services, including events like this that enable entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level. National Women’s Enterprise Day not only showcases the work of successful female entrepreneurs, but also supports and fosters female entrepreneurship by encouraging more women to start their own business.”

National Women’s Enterprise Day is Ireland’s largest female enterprise event. It promotes, encourages and stimulates female entrepreneurship across Ireland. It is designed and led by women and is an annual high point in promoting entrepreneurship to women in Ireland. The Local Enterprise Office along with Enterprise Ireland provide a wide range of help, incentives, training, and development programmes to female entrepreneurs.

While help is available all year round, National Women’s Enterprise Day allows the LEO to turn the spotlight on female entrepreneurship. It attracts widespread media attention. It opens the prospect of entrepreneurship to women who may not have considered it before. It highlights what support is available. It provides valuable networking opportunities and connections with industry experts. And it celebrates the achievements of women in enterprise.

It tackles the real-life subjects affecting women in business. While finance, marketing, innovation, and new product development are important, so too are family, well-being, and mental health and these all have their place in National Women’s Enterprise Day.

National Women’s Enterprise event takes place from 3pm to 6.30pm in Mount Congreve House, Waterford on Thursday, October 19th.  Tickets cost €20.  To book your place visit www.localenterprise.ie/Waterford/ . This event is a collaboration between Local Enterprise Office Waterford, Network Ireland Waterford branch, Dungarvan West Waterford Chamber & Waterford Chamber.

Photos by Noel Browne

Tamara Sheehan, Enterprise Executive, Local Enterprise Office Waterford, Brid Kirby, Acting Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Waterford, Lynda Lawton, Operations Officer, Waterford Chamber, Jenny Beresford, CEO, Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber, and Mailo Power Founder/Owner of Monkey Cups.

By Waterford City & County Council

Glas Awards Launched!

 

Local Enterprise Office Waterford launches the inaugural Glas Awards, promoting sustainability in business in Waterford.

The awards, in association with Waterford City and County Council aim to recognise and celebrate micro businesses in County Waterford who have made significant advances in bringing green principles into their business model.

Launched by Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Joe Conway, Acting Head of Enterprise at the Local Enterprise Office Waterford, Brid Kirby, and Climate Action Coordinator with Waterford City and County Council, Gráinne Kennedy, these awards will showcase what Waterford business is doing to adopt sustainability policies, in a practical sense.

The awards are open to small and medium sizes businesses based in Waterford County. The Green Micro Enterprise of the Year is open to all with employees of 10 or less, while the Green SME of the Year is open to those between 11 and 20 employees.

The mayor sees this as another step towards Waterford’s green action targets.  “Waterford has been actively working towards carbon neutrality and preparing for the impacts of climate change. Through policy measures and the implementation of both adaptation and mitigation projects, we can effect real change.

“Every aspect of the community has a role to play, and these awards will highlight and reward the micro businesses who have started to play their part.”

Each winner will receive a cash prize of €2,500 and a themed trophy.

Brid is extremely proud of these new Awards, “We want to recognise the extraordinary contribution and commitment that some Waterford companies now make towards growing a greener future in Waterford’s business environment.

“We have an opportunity to promote the conscientious practices of these Waterford businesses and hopefully encourage more to adopt a similar attitude. A green agenda does not have to increase costs in business. It often increases business, while saving money in the long run. It is an investment in their business and our future.

While Grainne hopes they will inspire other businesses, “We hope that this event connects companies and teams from a diverse variety of business sectors to exchange ideas and celebrate achievements in sustainability. We are proud to again be part of an event that highlights leadership and sustainability in green practices in Waterford.”

The entry portal  www.localenterprise.ie/Waterford/Training-Events/Competitions/Waterford-Glas-Awards-2023.html is now open on Waterford’s Local Enterprise Office website and remains so until 20th September 2023. The Glas Awards Final which will be held in Grow HQ, Waterford City on 17th October 2023.

For further information follow this link www.localenterprise.ie/Waterford, contact LEO Waterford at 051 849905 or email info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie

By Waterford City & County Council

Local Artists set for First Flight!

 

In Spring of this year, the Local Enterprise Office Waterford invited submissions from artists and small craft businesses to apply for the First Flight Enterprise programme at the Kite Design Studio in the heart of Waterford’s Viking Triangle.

This year’s successful candidates are Michelle Dunne (Strong Roots Jewellery), Lisa Hodge (Totes Upcycled) and Tanya Dobbyn (Clayful Creations by Tanya).

Kite Design Studio is an innovative space based in Waterford City and designed to enable the sharing of knowledge, resources and facilities for craft businesses.  Through an ethos of collaboration where businesses can connect support and grow, coworking spaces offer you the opportunity to bring structure to your day while increasing productivity and is a great alternative to working from home.

First introduced in 2013, this year’s First Flight programme provides a professional workspace, mentoring and practical business advice to creatives in a bustling, collaborative co-working space for six months commencing in June 2023.

To date, dozens of small craft businesses, artists and graduates of Waterford VTOS (Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme) have availed of First Flight placements, enabling them to develop their businesses commercially.

Michelle Dunne is one of those selected for this year’s First Flight placement. Michelle, originally from Tramore, now living in Ferrybank, is an artist and metalworker, and is planning to make the most of this opportunity. “The craft industry can be a lonely job, so places like Kite Design Studios are extremely important. Designers working alongside each other, inspires and increases knowledge in the whole design process.”

Jamie Whitty, Business Advisor with LEO Waterford said, “Over the years we have seen some inspirational artists and small craft businesses travel through this programme since 2013.”

As First Flight co-ordinator with the LEO she sees the benefit of the programme, “Waterford’s tradition in the arts and abundance of artistic talent cannot be denied, be it fashion designers, sculptors, jewellery makers or crystal craftspeople.  The First Flight programme gives talented individuals the resources and assistance to cultivate their businesses and gain from the experience of their peers in a shared creative space.”

If you are an artist or small craft business and would like to avail of a dedicated workspace, mentoring and business advice, speak to your Local Enterprise Office about the First Flight Enterprise programme. Alternatively visit www.localenterprise.ie/Waterford/ or call into Local Enterprise Office Waterford at 35, The Mall.

 

Photo by David Murphy Studio:

Tanya Dobbyn (Clayful Creations by Tanya), Lisa Hodge (Totes Upcycled), Jamie Whitty (Business Advisor with LEO Waterford) and Michelle Dunne (Strong Roots Jewellery).

By Waterford City & County Council

Expat Taxes wins the 2023 Waterford Digital Awards

Waterford Local Enterprise Office, together with Waterford City and County Council, is pleased to announce Expat Taxes as the 2023 Waterford Digital Awards Overall Winner.

The ceremony, which took place at Dooley’s Hotel on Friday 9th June, aimed to recognise and reward SMEs based in County Waterford who have developed their ecommerce and digital platforms as part of their product offering. The Awards were open to all businesses with less than 50 full time employees based in County Waterford.

Expat Taxes, the overall winner, is a boutique online tax practice that works with employees and their employers when they are moving to or from Ireland. It offers tax advisory and tax compliance services. Its aim is to make taxes less stressful and to help its clients navigate the complex work of international tax.

Stephanie Wickham, owner, was obviously delighted to win the award, “It’s such a thrill to win this award, we’re genuinely very surprised. There were so many fantastic local businesses shortlisted. After last year’s awards we applied for a Trading Online Voucher from the LEO and used it to upgrade our website. It has certainly increased our business and I’m sure made the difference in winning this award. We’d like to thank the team at the LEO for all their help over the years.”

The winners of each award category were:

  1. Best Business to Business Website – Learn Right Ltd.
  2. Best Business to Customer Website – Phoenix Mind and Body Performance
  3. Best E Commerce Website – Hill’s Standard
  4. Best Export Website – Expat Taxes Ltd.
  5. Best in social media – Pepper Hustle

The winner of each category received €1,000 towards technical advice, photography, videography and marketing. The overall winner received €2,500 in cash.

Brid Kirby, Acting Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Waterford was extremely impressed with the standard of entries, “In what is only our 2nd Waterford Digital Awards I’m delighted to see the increase in entries and standard of entries this year. Following a review of last year’s competition, we tweaked the categories and qualifying, and it paid off. Each of the category winners were excellent and it was so difficult to choose a winner. Though Stephanie and the team at Expat Taxes thoroughly deserve their award.

“Through training and Trading Online Vouchers many of our clients have transitioned to include digital sales and promotional platforms. This development has reaped financial rewards for many, while these awards are an opportunity to give them some public acclaim also.”

ENDS

Photo by Colin Shanahan – DigiCol Photography – http://www.digicolphotography.com

By Waterford City & County Council

Local Enterprise Office Waterford launch the 2023 Digital Awards

Following the success of last year’s competition, Local Enterprise Office Waterford, together with Waterford County Council have announced the 2023 entries portal is now open

The Awards aim to recognise and reward SMEs based in County Waterford who have developed their e-commerce and digital platforms as part of their product offering. The Awards are open to all businesses with less than 50 full-time employees based in County Waterford.

The award categories are:

  1. Best E Commerce Website
  2. Best Business to Business Website
  3. Best Business to Customer Website
  4. Best Export Website
  5. Best in social media
  • Overall Website/social media of the Year

Each category will have up to four shortlisted entrants who will be selected after an evaluation of their website/social media platforms by independent expert judges.

The winner of each category will receive €1,000 towards technical advice, photography, videography, and marketing. The overall winner will receive €2,500 in cash.

Jacqui Gaule, Acting Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Waterford commented at the launch of the awards, “We were blown award with the volume and quality of entries in our inaugural competition last year. We’ve made some slight changes this year, opening it up to more businesses in Waterford. Through training and Trading Online Vouchers many of our clients have transitioned to include digital sales and promotional platforms. These awards are an opportunity to reward those who have made the extra effort.”

Last year’s winner, Mark Bergin of Coffee House Lane encourages anyone with a digital platform to apply, “Any modern retail business needs an effective digital sales and promotions platform. Our website is an extension of our business and our family’s attitude to our work. We were thrilled to win, what was the first Waterford Digital Awards trophy.”

The entry portal is now open and remains so until 26th April 2023. Finalists will receive two free tickets to the Waterford Digital Awards, which will held in Dooleys Hotel on 9th June.

For further information follow this link www.localenterprise.ie/Waterford, contact LEO Waterford at 051 849905 or email info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie

By Waterford City & County Council

Expressions of Interest sought to serve on Waterford LEO’s Evaluation and Approvals Committee (EVAC)

The Local Enterprise Office, Waterford is seeking Expressions of Interest from suitable individuals to serve (pro bono) on its Evaluation and Approvals Committee (EVAC). This
7-person committee meets 4 to 6 times each year to evaluate applications for financial support from people with a business idea, to start up businesses and for businesses that are growing, based in Waterford, that meet certain criteria.

We are seeking Individuals with specific areas of business expertise in
• entrepreneurship,
• knowledge of markets/sectors/technology
to join the EVAC.

If you wish to be considered to join a panel of suitable qualified individuals, please submit your CV to Ms. Jacqui Gaule, A/Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Waterford, 35 The Mall, Waterford or via e-mail at jgaule@waterfordcouncil.ie before 20th April, 2023.

By Waterford City & County Council

Waterford Student set for National Enterprise final

Local Enterprise Office Waterford has announced that a winning teenager entrepreneur, Nathan Sfendji from Waterpark College will represent Waterford at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Finals on Friday 5th May.

The winning business, named Hart Island is an online fashion retailer with clothing made in the EU using innovative and new to market techniques. The clothing is made from 100% organic cotton and environmentally sustainable. He also mixes recycled cotton into newer products, further reducing reliance on organic materials.

An estimated 850 students from 14 Waterford schools took part in the annual programme this year. 120 took part in the Waterford Final on March 7th as part of Local Enterprise Week, which was held at the Park Hotel in Dungarvan.

The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, saw over 24,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part in 2021 / 2022.  The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Finals.

The Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr John O’Leary, spoke at the event about the Council’s long-standing commitment to youth enterprise and the outstanding efforts of the whole team at the Local Enterprise Office in Waterford.

Waterford has a strong history in this competition, winning awards on numerous occasions, including the overall Best Senior Enterprise Award, and hopes are high for more success this year.

Speaking at the county final, Acting Head of Enterprise, Jacqui Gaule of Local Enterprise Office Waterford congratulated the students, saying,

“We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Waterford. By fostering an enterprising culture in the classroom, the Local Enterprise Offices are working with teachers and schools to help nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs. Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck on the May 5th. We will all be there to support them.  What our students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business. The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and teamwork, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers”.

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 300,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business.  The Student Enterprise Programme also has new range of online resources for 2022 / 2023 at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.

Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.

ENDS     

LEO -TYAwards – 154 John O’Leary (Mayor Waterford City & County Council), Jacqui Gaulle (Acting Head of Enterprise LEO Waterford) and David Walsh (Business Advisor LEO Waterford) presenting 1st Prize to Nathan Sfendji of Hart Island Clothing, representing Waterpark College, Waterford at the LEO County Final Student Enterprise Awards at The Park Hotel, Dungarvan on Tuesday 7th March 2023. Photo: Karen Dempsey Photography        

By Waterford City & County Council

Waterford Local Enterprise Office is ‘Open for Business’ during Local Enterprise Week

Local Enterprise Office Waterford has a large number events planned for Local Enterprise Week, March 6th to 10th, none more important than its ‘Open for Business’ panel discussions.

On Thursday, 9th March 2023, LEO Waterford will host a series of panel discussions looking at Waterford’s future in terms of work, enterprise and innovation. This event will be facilitated by local entrepreneur and well-known presenter Nichola Beresford. Also taking part are some of Waterford’s best-known entrepreneurs, thinkers and policy makers.

This event is intended for a forward-thinking Waterford, a Waterford that is open for business, attracting skills, investment and people. A Waterford that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship while ensuring a quality of life for all, with community at the heart of everything.

Running from 8.30am to 1pm, the event leads off with a panel discuss on ‘Building Waterford’s Future’, discussing the projects and programmes which are being planned and delivered to act as drivers for growth in the region.  The panel includes, Michael Walsh, CEO, Waterford City & County Council, Brian McGee, Regional Development Manager, IDA Ireland, Martin Corkery, Regional Director, Enterprise Ireland and Kathyrn Kiely, Vice President External Affairs, SETU.

This is followed by a discussion on Business Opportunities in Waterford. The panel includes, Conor Walsh, Visor MMC, Mailo Power, Monkey Reusable Products and Liam Dunne, Klearcom, and they will discuss how they saw an opening in the market and successfully changed or developed their offering to create a viable business.

The keynote speaker on the day is Gerry Duffy, of the Gerry Duffy Academy, one of Ireland’s foremost motivational speakers on optimising performance.

Gerry is followed by a panel discussion on innovation and the processes and supports available to increase efficiencies, market share and customer satisfaction in business. It includes, Dermot O’Reilly, Zenith Consulting, Ronan Cleary, Eagle Dreams and Sheila Gallogly, Marla.

The final panel of the day will discuss the Evolution of the Workforce. How employees play a major role in the success of business. This panel will discuss the shifts in hiring trends, remote work changes and employee expectations, and includes Feargal O’Neill, Alternative Thinking Processes for Organisations (ATPO), Ria White, Ria White HR & Training and Oren Byrne, Totem.

There is no doubt that the world of business is evolving at a rapid pace. Now the challenge is to prepare for what happens next or, maybe even more importantly, to be proactive in ensuring that our futures are the ones we want.

This seminar will look at Waterford’s plans for the next 5 – 10 years and examine what we can do, in the here and now to support that vision and develop a Waterford that promotes investment in ourselves and in others.

To register for this or any of the Local Enterprise Week events taking place in Waterford city and county from March 6th to 10th, or if you would like to find out more about what business support services are available visit www.localenterprise.ie/Waterford/

Photo:  Local Enterprise Office staff launching Enterprise Week.

Brid Kirby – Senior Enterprise Development Officer, David Walsh – Acting Senior Enterprise Development Officer, Maureen Fitzsimmons – Assistant Business Advisor & Kevin Higgins – Enterprise Administrator

By Waterford City & County Council

Online is key to Finders Keepers growth

“The Trading Online Voucher gave us the means to build this fantastic website.”

Lisa Connolly and Luke Marsh are the founders and owners of Finders Keepers in Waterford City. While her background is in fashion and textile design, Lisa developed a love for retail when working abroad with her partner Luke, “I loved the experience of walking through the doors into someone’s shop and seeing how they have imagined their space.”

Finders Keepers is based in Waterford City, offering unique gift & homeware products and ideas. “We signed the lease on an old butcher shop in September 2017 and opened the door to Finders Keepers in November! My amazing little sister Beth joined us later that month & has been working with us since. A small family run business through and through!”

Following their opening they were very active on social media. They didn’t have the funds to advertise so it was their only way of promoting the business. “I was really just doing this with the idea of people from Waterford in my mind. I wanted them to come into town and find our shop. But our community quickly grew outside of Waterford. Our following was growing and suddenly we had customers in all parts of Ireland. But it was very frustrating, not having a website.”

Lisa met with the Local Enterprise Office in Waterford, who recommended a ‘Trading Online Voucher’ in order to get to the next phase of growth for Finders Keepers. “We found local web designers Transpose Digital. They were absolute pros and really worked hard with us to achieve the vision we had. If we were going to build a website, it needed to be done right and to a standard that could sit alongside with some of the bigger retailers. The TOV gave us the means to build this fantastic website.”

A Trading Online Voucher (TOV) is a financial incentive developed by the Local Enterprise Office for small businesses with no more than 10 employees, less than €2m turnover and who have been trading for at least 6 months. This voucher is designed to stimulate the applicant business to develop their online trading presence. The voucher is administered through your Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and takes the form of matched funding where the maximum amount payable will be €2,500 or 50% of the eligible cost (whichever is the lesser), exclusive of VAT.

They launched the website in November 2019, just a few months before the pandemic. “I was never so grateful for the website during this time. We were suddenly busier than ever before. It was a crazy time. I live less than 1km from the shop so could walk here each day and continue dispatching orders. It was a hugely challenging time, taking on such a workload alone but our business grew exponentially.”

Fast forward to today, they have just moved into a new premises on Michael Street in the City, that is much bigger. They have a whole floor in the building dedicated to online and have built a studio for photoshoots to improve their digital offering on the website and through social media. The aim is to continue to grow the website within Ireland but start moving into the European market.

“Our bricks and clicks business model is working very well. I don’t think you can have one without the other. On a day where it may be quiet in town, our website will pick up the slack. We also have a large customer base from Waterford City who may be time poor and will use our click and collect service, ensuing their gift is wrapped and paid for on collection. It works very well.”

Irish consumers spend around €850,000 per hour, 24 hours a day online. With the trend ever increasing towards online spending it is estimated that only 30% of small Irish businesses are engaged in any meaningful way in e-Commerce sales. For businesses employing less than ten people this percentage could be even lower. It is now believed that of online purchases made in Ireland that 70% of these are done in overseas markets.

Applicants interested in a Trading Online Voucher can now apply online using a link on Waterford’s Local Enterprise Office website. Those wishing to avail of a voucher, must attend an obligatory information seminar. At each seminar attendees will be informed of the purpose of the scheme and how best to use and get value from the application of the voucher. You can book the next information seminar via the website.

Please reach out to your local LEO team by emailing info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie if you any questions in relation to your application, quotes or Information Seminar.

Finders Keepers can be reached by www.finderskeepersthestore.ie

By Waterford City & County Council

Call for supply of Waterford corporate gifts

The Local Enterprise Office is making a public call out on behalf of Waterford City & County Council, seeking expression of interest to supply corporate gifts

Every year the Council presents dozens of corporate gifts to dignitaries visiting our City and County. The gifts are also brought when Waterford officials are visiting other countries on behalf of the county. Corporate gifts representing our heritage have travelled all over the world, in recent times to countries such as Germany, Spain, Norway, Ukraine and China.

At the launch of the appeal, Honor Dunphy of Corporate Services with Waterford City and County Council elaborated on the importance of these gifts, “These are more than just token gifts presented to visitors, they are expected to be a representation of what is best about our City and County. The wealth of heritage that comes with the Waterford name and its international prominence makes the choice of these corporate gifts extremely important. They travel all over the world and are given to only the most influential guests. We take it very seriously and expect our suppliers to also.”

The procurement of these gifts by Waterford City and County Council is not only an honour for the suppliers, but it can also be a lucrative source of income and international publicity. Brid Kirby of the Local Enterprise Office Waterford explains what it entails, “Waterford’s craft and design industry has a rich heritage but is also currently extremely vibrant. We at the LEO have a wide range of local craft clients with international reputations and renown. But we are aware that there might be other businesses not on our radar who could fulfil this requirement. We wish to cast the net wide and see what is on offer.

“We are looking for a range of non-perishable corporate gifts which represent our county at its best to be given to visiting dignitaries or brought abroad as gifts on civic trips.”

The Department of Corporate Services will ultimately select which local suppliers will provide this service, but for now the Local Enterprise Office is seeking expressions of interest from Waterford businesses who think they have product which would be suitable.

  • Simply visit Waterford’s Local Enterprise Office website and click https://www.localenterprise.ie/!YGLZG0 where you can submit your expression of interest to be a supplier of corporate gifts for Waterford City and County Council.
  • Expression of Interest forms must be completed via the link by 5pm on Monday January 30th. 

All completed Expression of Interest Forms will be reviewed and applicants will be contacted by early February whether or not they have been successful. All successful applicants will get to pitch their products in late February.

Any questions can be directed to Jamie Whitty in the Local Enterprise Office by phone call on 051 849905 or email jwhitty@waterfordcouncil.ie

ENDS

By Waterford City & County Council

LEO Waterford hosts networking event for clients at Mount Congreve

The Local Enterprise Office Waterford held a networking event for its clients recently at Mount Congreve Garden on Thursday December 15th. The purpose of the event was to celebrate grant recipients in 2022.

One of the many business services the Local Enterprise Office makes available is the allocation of Priming Grants, a business start-up grant available to micro-enterprises within the first 18 months of start-up. Expenditure is considered for capital items, salary costs, general overhead costs and innovation / marketing costs.

Jacqui Gaule, Acting Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Waterford explained the importance of the LEO, “In 2022 Local Enterprise Office Waterford continued to provide a range of supports to help small business get off the ground, overcome challenges, hire new staff, fund innovation, manage various challenges and plan for the future. The range of supports on offer from the Local Enterprise Office will help anyone seeking to start or grow a small business through highly practical services such as professional business and management training, mentoring, networking opportunities, finance and much more.”

As of 2022, the Local Enterprise Offices network supports over 38,000 jobs across over 7,000 LEO client companies all over Ireland. Since the LEOs were established in 2014 their clients have created over 18,000 jobs in small businesses across the country.

-ENDS-

By Waterford City & County Council

Coffeehouse Lane wins inaugural Waterford Digital Awards

Overall Winner
Michael Quinn – Waterford Council, Tommy O’Connor – Coffeehouse Lane, Cllr. John O’Leary – Mayor, Brid Kirby – LEO

Waterford Local Enterprise Office, together with Waterford City and County Council are pleased to announce Coffeehouse Lane as their first Waterford Digital Awards Overall Winner.

The ceremony, which took place at Dooley’s Hotel on Friday 28th October, aimed to recognise and reward SMEs based in County Waterford who have developed their ecommerce and digital platforms as part of their product offering.

Coffeehouse Lane, the overall winner, is an Artisan Coffee roaster and producer with strong Waterford roots. It is owned by the Bergin family and run by Mark Bergin. Its range of coffees is not just inspired by its name, but also by the ethos of coffee roasting and brewing back to 1690 when Coffee House Lane, adjacent to the then busy trading port of Waterford, boasted what is long believed to be Ireland’s first ever coffee house. Green Coffee was traded at the port, then roasted, brewed and sold at John Aikenhead’s Coffee House on what became Coffee House Lane of Waterford.

Mark was obviously delighted to win the award, “When Coffee House Lane started out, we were committed to not only producing Artisan Coffee of the highest quality but also building a business that we had fun working at. We are always open to new ideas and evolving. Any modern retail business needs an effective digital sales and promotions platform. Our website is an extension of our business and our family’s attitude to our work. We’re thrilled to win this, the first Waterford Digital Awards trophy and would like to thank the team at the Local Enterprise Office who have helped us grow and grow, for many years now.”

The winners of each award category were:

  1. Best Business to Business Website – NC Consulting & Co.
  1. Best Business to Customer Website – Coffeehouse Lane
  1. Best E Commerce Website – Murphy Larkin Timber Products Ltd.
  1. Best Export Website – Herdsy
  1. Best in social media – Pepper Hustle

The winner of each category received €1,000 towards technical advice, photography, videography and marketing. The overall winner received €2,500 in cash.

Jacqui Gaule, Senior Enterprise Development Officer with Local Enterprise Office Waterford was extremely impressed with the standard of entries, “For the past number of years the Local Enterprise Offices have been promoting the importance of online sales. Though even we didn’t realise how high the bar had been set. The judges spent much longer than expected debating and deliberating on who should win each category, let alone the overall prize.

“Through training and Trading Online Vouchers many of our clients have transitioned to include digital sales and promotional platforms. This development has reaped financial rewards for many, while these awards are an opportunity to give them some public acclaim also.”

For further information follow this link www.localenterprise.ie/Waterford, contact LEO Waterford at 051 849905 or email info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie.

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