Local business support programmes supporting the creation of new jobs

In the 18 months since their launch, the local business support programmes facilitated by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council have helped to create over 78 new jobs for the area - averaging more than one new role each week.

The programmes are part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014 -2020) programme.

Participants in the programme are able to avail of one-to-one mentoring from leading experts, who help guide them and their business through unprecedented times, as well as learning new skills in financial management, cross-border sales and maximising your chances of winning tenders. As a result, many businesses have been able to not only grow their business, but grow their workforce.

Despite the impact of recent lockdowns over the last 12 months, NMD Business has continued to provide SMEs with support packages in response to challenges created by the pandemic. This has resulted in ongoing growth for the business and the creation of 78 new job roles, as well as helping 465 businesses involved in the programme to navigate an unprecedented economic environment.

Eddie Curran from Pro-Performance Nutrition completed the programme in 2020 and has already recruited a full-time driver for his business.

He said: “The guidance I received and the lessons I learned throughout the programmes were crucial in the survival of our business. It helped us focus on what was key for our growth. The mentoring allowed us to develop a strategic plan which looked at improving our services and team, to achieve more growth across our target markets. Despite the pandemic and the issues the economy is facing, we are in a good place.

“Enhancing my skillset was obviously a vital part of our success in the programmes, but the confidence I gained in myself helped boost the direction of the business and enabled me to grow our team. It’s hard to believe that this support is free, so I would urge any business in Newry, Mourne and Down to register as soon as possible. You never know where it might take you!”

Councillor Laura Devlin, Chair of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council added: “As a council we want to see the success of local businesses, who can create jobs and compete in local and international markets. That is why the NMD Business Growth and Tender for Growth programmes are important elements of our work, where we can support SMEs and start-ups to develop their skills and grow their business.

“It is great to see that the programme is a success, with so many of the hundreds who have taken part seeing growth and expansion of their businesses in the last 18 months. It is particularly exciting to see 78 new jobs created, one each week since the programme launched, and we hope to see even more in the coming months.”

For more information or to find out if your business is eligible for the programme, visit www.nmdbusiness.org/growing-your-business .

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you