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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: to export; to improve productivity;
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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: • to export; • to improve productivity; • to become more internationally competitive; • Attract high quality inward investment; Invest NI Corporate Plan 2008-11
Issues Many business owners face a range of challenges: • 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 • Comprehensive review of our existing products and services. • Consideration given to new products or services. • Actions have been quickly implemented under a number of themes: • Boosting Business Through Jobs • Boosting Business Through Exporting • Boosting Business Through Research and Development • Boosting Business Through New Technology • Boosting Business Through Skills
Campaign Overview The campaign will be branded Boosting Business with individual treatments for each element
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
Invest NI Eligibility Criteria • Established Businesses • manufacturing and internationally Tradable Services • capability to grow in export markets • 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 • For service-type businesses: • knowledge intensive with a minimum gross margin of 20%. (Generally excludes locally focussed businesses, Retail, Primary Agriculture, Wholesale/Distribution)
Sources Available • Training Support • Intervention
Business Improvement Training Programme BITP Introduction • 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? • 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 • Lean Advisors – Train and mentor company champion on specific projects • Two day Lean Workshop • Value Stream Mapping • Ongoing support throughout project • HR Advisors – provide expert advice and guidance on: • Recruitment issues • Disciplinary issues • Performance Management issues • Leadership issues • People Solution Workshops
Intervention - External • Non-Executive Directors This initiative allows businesses to access and benefit from the vast intellectual capital resources of experienced and independent non-executive directors. • Interim Manager This programme allows you to hire an experienced manager on a short-term contract to tackle a specific business issue or problem Questions?