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 Economic
Development \ The economic regeneration
of Newry and Mourne \ Newry & Mourne Enterprise Agency
Newry &
Mourne Enterprise Agency (continued)
 Premises
and Workspace
In October 1999 NI
Environment Minister, Lord Dubs opened a £1m extension to
WIN Business Park. The extension facilitated 35 new jobs.
In December 2001 Flurrybridge Enterprise Centre, located on the
main A1/N1 Belfast/Dublin road, at the border at Jonesborough, officially
opened. The Centre provides 20,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space,
accommodating 16 businesses ultimately employing 75 people.
Work has also begun on a major expansion at WIN Business Park, comprising
24,000 sq. ft. of industrial units, as well as 8,000 square feet
of specialist tradeable services/ICT units and a business hosting
suite/conference facility. Part of the scheme involves renovation
of existing buildings to provide new office space with an IT training
suite. This project will be completed in the second quarter of 2003.
Development
of new Business
The Agency has been involved in a wide
range of activities support and encouraging people considering self-employment.
These services include:
Pre-start Counselling
The Agency, under the Northern Ireland Business Start Programme,
provides a free and confidential counselling service to anyone considering
the option of self-employment. Since this service started in 1984
4,826 people have been assisted.
Training
Developing the skills of managers and employees is the key to business
success. It is therefore important that anyone considering the self-employment
option is given the opportunity to access specialist advice and
training.
Newry & Mourne Enterprise Agency delivers a monthly course designed
to guide people through the route to self-employment. Newry &
Mourne has recorded the highest number of business start-ups in
any District Council area in Northern Ireland for the past 3 years.
Business Start training is funded by InvestNI and is free of charge
to participants.
Enterprise Northern Ireland Small Business Loan Fund
In 2001 Newry & Mourne Co-operative/Enterprise Agency combined
the monies in the Newry & Mourne Enterprise Fund with those
of the other local Enterprise Agency funds in Northern Ireland to
create a single £4.6m Enterprise Northern Ireland Small Business
Loan Fund. The Enterprise Agency now offers loan fund access locally,
as part of a Northern Ireland-wide service. This enables us to secure
more large loans for our local clients. The Enterprise Northern
Ireland Small Business Loan Fund became operational on 1st April
2001.
In December 2001 Newry & Mourne Enterprise Agency was appointed
to administer the new Enterprise NI Loan Fund across Northern Ireland.
The Community Business Programme
The Enterprise Agency manages and administers the Community Business
Start-up Programme for Invest Northern Ireland in the Southern Region
(i.e. in the District Council areas of Newry & Mourne, Banbridge,
Craigavon, Armagh City and District and Down).
The main aim
of the Programme is to establish and develop community based businesses
which will be economically sustainable.
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