The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, recently launched a special €500,000 Enterprise Ireland Competitive Start Fund targeted at stimulating new start-up business activity in both the Aviation and Manufacturing sectors. 

This Competitive Start Fund will help start up and early stage companies to get off the ground and launch new products and services in the international marketplace. The priority of the Fund is to provide young companies in these sectors with the critical early stage funding for the key commercial and technical milestones that will ensure delivery of their product or service, and help them get their project to a key funding milestone.

Making the announcement Brian O’Neill, Head of High Potential Start Ups Industrial & Life Sciences at Enterprise Ireland, said: “By introducing a targeted Start Fund for indigenous manufacturing start ups, Enterprise Ireland is emphasising the importance of retaining a focus on production, stimulating interest in new manufacturing technologies and materials and contributing to the creation of a positive environment to encourage more start up businesses in the manufacturing sector.

“We already have in place a world-class aviation ecosystem, which offers tremendous potential for new businesses with new innovative products and services. This Competitive Start Fund follows on from the successful Enterprise Ireland Competitive Feasibility Study Fund call launched in July 2013 where 20 entrepreneurs and businesses in the aviation sector were supported with an overall fund of €375,000 to investigate the viability of growth orientated opportunities in the aviation sector”.