A new €40m fund has been announced as part of the government's Action Plan for Jobs.
The fund will provide finance for new projects generated through the eight regional jobs plans.
The scheme will operate under five themes on a phased basis.
Details of the Enterprise Ireland fund were revealed ahead of a meeting in Athlone with 20 business-people from across the country, who have been named as Enterprise Champions, responsible for helping to implement the Regional Jobs Plans in each area of the country.
Seven of the eight Regional Jobs Plans have now been published, covering every area of the country except Dublin. with publication of the final Dublin plan scheduled for the coming weeks.
The publication of the final Dublin plan is scheduled for the coming weeks.
The eight plans are aimed at creating 220,000 extra jobs across the country over the coming years.
The €40m fund will be rolled out on a phased basis, grouped under the following themes:
- Regional Accelerator projects
- Opportunities to drive greater company/sector collaboration/clustering in the regions
- Driving procurement opportunities for start-ups and established small businesses
- Strengthening Third-level as a driver of regional enterprise
- Strengthening the Start-up ecosystem locally
Jobs Minister Richard Bruton says the programme will be very competitive.
