Boosting Business
Noel Hegarty
Invest Northern Ireland
Invest NI – Role and Remit
Invest NI works directly with those manufacturing and tradable services businesses
in Northern Ireland which have the potential and ambition:
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to export;
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to improve productivity;
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to become more internationally competitive;
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Attract high quality inward investment;
Invest NI Corporate Plan 2008-11
Issues
Many business owners face a range of challenges:
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Banks are attempting to tidy up their credit portfolios.
Continuing economic decline resulting in reduced demand for products and
services.
Upward trend in insolvencies and bankruptcies.
Many businesses with investment plans lack the confidence to implement them.
This has impacted on Invest NI’s Work in Progress and budget drawdown.
Invest NI Response
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Comprehensive review of our existing products and services.
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Consideration given to new products or services.
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Actions have been quickly implemented under a number of themes:
1. Boosting Business Through Jobs
2. Boosting Business Through Exporting
3. Boosting Business Through Research and Development
4. Boosting Business Through New Technology
5. Boosting Business Through Skills
Campaign Overview
The campaign will be branded Boosting Business with
individual treatments for each element
The Jobs Fund Measures 2011-2015
Measure
1. Grant for Business Starts in Neighbourhood
Renewal Areas (NR)
2. Increased Support for Social Enterprise
3. Grant for Business Start to Young People
Not in employment, education or training
(NEETS)
4. Business Growth Programme (Export Starts,
Global Starts & Existing Businesses)
5. Jobs Fund SFA employment grant support
across a range of sectors including Contact
Centres, Food Processing and Knowledge
Process Outsourcing
6. Employer Subsidy (DEL)
Total Budget £18.83m
Promoted Jobs
2011-15
1,500
Created Jobs
2011-14
1,500
340
340
280
280
150
150
3,100
1,730
5,370
4,000
The Jobs Fund – SFA Employment Grant
• Manufacturing and Tradable Services businesses
• Normal Invest NI Client Eligibility Criteria Applies
• Projects where Median Salary (mid point) is below the Private Sector Median of
£18,283
• Employment Grant paid out in one instalment after 1 month
• Jobs must be sustained for 5 years
Annual Basic Wage (£)
Maximum Employment Grant (£)
Small
Medium Large
< £13,999
Up to £3k,
£3k
£3k per new job
£14,000 – £15,999
Up to £5k,
£4k
£4k per new job
> £16,000
Up to £7k,
£6k
£5k per new job
Invest NI Eligibility Criteria
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Established Businesses
– manufacturing and internationally Tradable Services
– capability to grow in export markets
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Businesses have or within 3 years will achieve:
– sales of over £100,000 per annum; and
– external sales (i.e. outside Northern Ireland) greater that 25% of turnover or
greater than £250,000 per annum
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For service-type businesses:
– knowledge intensive with a minimum gross margin of 20%.
(Generally excludes locally focussed businesses, Retail, Primary Agriculture,
Wholesale/Distribution)
Boosting Business through Exports
Already Implemented
 In Market Support – Trade Advisors in
Brazil, Canada, China, Dubai, Germany,
India, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia,
West Coast USA, London (construction)
Proposed
 Reviewing options to provide legal
support for advice on export contracts
and translations services.
 Appoint a specific resource to drive
 Increased contribution to explore markets
supply chain and FDI opportunities for
the renewables sector.
• additional days in market, while on a
Trade Mission, to visit other regions.
 Road show on export financing options
(UKTI/ECGD/Banks/Invest NI).
• funding for return market visits
between missions.
• free market research for first time visit
to international market.
 Key Exhibitions support (Solex)
 Inward missions – assistance for groups
of buyers visiting NI
Boosting Business through R&D
Already Implemented
 Enhanced R&D ‘Open Call’ for small
businesses (<50 employees)
 Market driven R&D ‘Open Call’ in small/
medium sized businesses
Proposed
 Roll-out YIE (Young Innovative
Enterprise Support) which could offer up
to £1.25 Million over a three year period
to high technology companies under 6
years old with R&D intensity of over 15%
of turnover.
Boosting Business through Technology
Already Implemented
Proposed
 Broaden and enhance technical support
 Increase commercialisation support for
on project support from £3,000 to £5,000.
companies post research, product
On TDI increasing the maximum project
development and innovation activities.
cost eligibility from £10,000 to £15,000.
 Widen scope of MIS Scheme to fund
 Innovation Voucher pilot call for Food
additional elements.
Sector to invite applications. Review
 Website support for companies that can
eligibility criteria with a view to
demonstrate export potential within wider
broadening.
business base alongside internet
 Introduce IP starter pack and enhanced
marketing programme.
IP support (to be launched 6 Dec)
 From 2012-2013, delivery of a new
capital grant scheme to support
installation of water and material efficient
processes and equipment.
Boosting Business through Skills
Already Implemented
Proposed
 Consultancy and Mentoring support for
SMEs at support rate of 49%.
 Roll out enhanced management and
leadership support.
 Software Testers Academy
 Provision of higher support levels for
BITP (Cross Training, New Skills
Development)
 Launch of BITP 2 (High Quality, High
Value Added Growth Projects).
 Capital Markets Network – Post-graduate
Training Initiative
Skills Development
Sources Available
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Training Support
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Intervention
Business Improvement Training Programme BITP
Introduction
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Invest NI's Business Improvement Training Programme (BITP) can help you
improve your business performance by providing advisory and financial support
for training and development activities.
The programme is aimed at improving company competitiveness through raising
the skill levels of your managers and workforce.
How will it help me?
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By improving the skills of managers and employees your business can:
Increase productivity;
Improve products and services;
Reduce waste and overheads;
Increase profit and turnover; and
Have a more flexible and motivated workforce.
Intervention - Invest NI
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Lean Advisors – Train and mentor company champion on specific
projects
 Two day Lean Workshop
 Value Stream Mapping
 Ongoing support throughout project
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HR Advisors – provide expert advice and guidance on:
 Recruitment issues
 Disciplinary issues
 Performance Management issues
 Leadership issues
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People Solution Workshops
Intervention - External
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Non-Executive Directors
This initiative allows businesses to access and benefit from the vast
intellectual capital resources of experienced and independent nonexecutive directors.
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Interim Manager
This programme allows you to hire an experienced manager on a shortterm contract to tackle a specific business issue or problem
Questions?