Thinking of Exporting? Read this....
Overhaul of supports for exporters to benefit 1800 companies in 2012 & help achieve €3bn increase in EI exports by 2015
Enterprise Ireland establishes new Potential Exporters Division and launches new programme of supports to get more Irish companies exporting
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, today [Friday] announced that a new Potential Exporters Division in Enterprise Ireland has gone live, and launched a new programme of supports for exporters in order to get more indigenous companies trading in foreign markets.
Today’s announcement marks the delivery of a key Q1 measure under the Action Plan for Jobs 2012.
The new Potential Exporters Division will:
• identify more exporters and providing focussed targeted supports to these companies
• provide supports for 1800 companies in 2012,
• target 250 of these for intensive work on export initiatives
• achieve an increase of 60% in the number of companies which will receive the Going Global grant in 2012, compared with 2011.
The “Get Export Ready” programme of supports, aimed specifically at pre-export and early stage exporting companies, will provide the following new supports for exporting companies:
• Workshops, seminars and training across the country
• Mentoring and advocate support
• Access to market information
• A new website with “how to” guides, links to relevant information, self-assessment tools and templates
• A new helpdesk
• Access to advice from successful exporting companies
• Access to a range of Enterprise Ireland financial supports
Launching the initiatives today, Minister Bruton said:
“If we are to see the jobs recovery we so badly need, we must create a powerful engine of indigenous enterprise. While exports continue to grow strongly, we must ensure that we achieve a substantial improvement in the export performance of Irish businesses. That is why, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs, we are overhauling the way Government supports companies who have potential to trade in foreign markets, creating a new Potential Exporters Division to focus on improving export performance, and implementing a range of new supports to help these companies as they seek to export more.
“Enterprise Ireland has committed to improving the export performance of the companies it supports by 22% from €13.9billion in 2010 to €17billion in 2015. I believe that with the proper supports, we can surpass this target. I am determined that with the continued implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs in 2012 and beyond, a new generation of exporters can drive our recovery and support the employment growth we are working so hard to achieve”.
Frank Ryan, CEO Enterprise Ireland commented: ‘Exporting can be a valuable new source of business for companies with ambition and we know there are many Irish companies operating successfully in the Irish market who can grow new business through finding new customers overseas. I am optimistic that there is enormous entrepreneurial talent in the Irish business community: talent and energy that can add value to businesses and contribute to our economic recovery and the creation of jobs through new business from exporting’.
The ‘Get Export Ready’ programme encompasses a wide range of practical measures for early exporters focusing on export readiness, the importance of research, developing a value proposition and the skills of export selling. It will support and help prepare companies interested in targeting international markets to confront the challenges that any company faces as it prepares to export.
Enterprise Ireland will run a series of awareness events around the country to inspire and encourage a new cohort of companies to consider exporting. The programme also includes workshops, seminars, training, access to information, experienced staff, mentors and advocates – all designed to prepare a company for new export markets. Practical supports will focus on export readiness, the importance of research, developing a value proposition and the skills of export selling.
Visit the Get Export Ready website on www.enterprise-ireland.com/getexportready for more information.
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For more information contact:
Conor Quinn, Press Advisor to Minister Bruton, 087-3743783, conor.quinn@djei.ie
Eileen Banks, Press Officer, Enterprise Ireland, 087-2445814, eileen.banks@enterprise-ireland.com
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