Support Services & Networks

Fermanagh District Council- Free mentoring available to promote survival and growth of non Invest NI businesses/signposting through the Survive and Thrive programme. For more information about this programme, click here

Fermanagh Local Enterprise Agency provides workspace and support services for small and medium sized businesses.  They can offer advice and information on the local business sector.
To connect to the Fermanagh Enterprise Ltd site click here

FEDO (Fermanagh Economic Development Organisation)- Free advice/mentoring for businesses.

Invest NI is Northern Irelands new economic development agency. 
Invest NIs mission is:
"To accelerate economic development in Northern Ireland, applying expertise and resources to encourage innovation and achieve business success, increasing opportunity for all within a renewed culture of enterprise."
Invest NI has a local office in Omagh, Co. Tyrone. 
To connect to the Invest NI site click here
Invest NI has Export Skills and Knowledge Workshops available - to get more information or to book online click here
Invest NI has a website available with practical advice for NI businesses click here
Invest NI has a 'Transform' programme called 'Ideas into Businesses' - it is designed to provide ambitious entrepreneurs with the necessary business skills, expertise, contacts, networks and faciltiies to establish successful export orientated businesses - for more information and an application form click here

Manufacturing Northern Ireland- This organisation is committed to ensuring manufacuring in Northern Ireland is valued and supported. For more information click here

InterTradeIreland provides cross-border business opportunities for SME's including salary support for cross-border sales staff, support for new product development with university partnerships, advice on accessing equity funding and business information services such as the Simple Guide to Cross-Border Trade and the Trade Acceleration Voucher Scheme. InterTradeIreland also funds a number of business support programmes including Elevate which is a sales development programme for small businesses. In addition, the InterTradeIreland Go-2-Tender programme offers knowledge and practical skills to businesses to tender successfully for public sector contracts.  To view the InterTradeIreland website click here

Jobs and Benefit Office is located in the Crown Buildings, Queen Elizabeth Road, Enniskillen.  They offer Jobs and Benefit Information, Careers Advice and a Disablement Advisory Service.  They offfer a free advertising service to Employers to advertise vacancies which can be accessed via the website 'employersonline' or locally by contacting freephone 0800 353530 or 028 6634 3341.

Irish Cross Border Area Network (ICBAN) is a collaboration of the District Councils North and South of the border and is an implementation body for the INTERREG IIIA programme.  ICBAN's headquarters is situated in Enniskillen, Fermanaghs County town.
To connect to the ICBAN site click here

South West College is an award winning college that pledges to provide quality education and training to meet the learning needs of the community, the individual, schools and industry, thereby contributing to the educational and economic development of Fermanagh.  Economic Development is encouraged by the Business Unit, aiming to provide support to new and existing businesses in the form of mentoring, collaboration, consultancy and focused relevant training.
To connect to the South West College site click here

South West College- Innotech- Aim to nurture and grow innovation by providinig training and technical mentoring to help businesses achieve an advanced level in adopting and embracing innovation. To connect to the Innotech site, click here

NORIBIC- I-factory- Innovation Coaching, Technical Mentoring and Market Research to assist with Business Innovation and Growth. To connect to the NORIBIC website click here

Logon.NI- Offer free impartial broadband and IT training and advice. For further information click here

Business in the Community- Offers help to all sizes of organisations (both public and private) address issues of social responsibility. For further information click here

Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP)- Access to Venture Capital Investors in the areas of Hitech, Biotech, CleanTech and Digital Media & Software. NISP Connect focuses on business creation & development, entrepreneurial learning and access to capital. For more information click here

Department for Employment & Learning (DEL)- There are a number of programmes available under the Department some of which are detailed below:-

Steps to Work Programme (Self-Employment Option)-Applies to anyone who is unemployed and claiming benefits- Includes 6 months Test Trading supported by advisor and continued benefits. Information is also available on the wide range of training & development support packages available to employers through the Skills Solutions Team.

Investors in People- The Investors in People standard is a business improvement tool designed to help employers improve performance by linking people, development and skills acquisition to the specific aims and objectives of their businesses, to assess and improve the performance of their employees. Fermanagh District Council are supporting a Fermanagh Investors in People Group Scheme which provides businesses in Fermanagh the opportunity to avail of Investors in People at a fraction of the cost. To find out more contact Seamus McGurk in DEL: [email protected].

Management Analysis and Planning (MAP) offers businesses a structured, flexible approach to identifying and addressing company needs. Specifically designed for small to medium-sized enterprises it deliver an analysis of your business resulting in a training and development plan. The Department for Employment and Learning will meet the cost of the business analysis, (worth £1000) and will provide up to a further £6000 of funding (on a 40% basis), towards development activities arising from the completed training and development plan. In addition, all NI based companies in th 10-250 staff size may now apply for funded places. This will include Invest NI companies, through DEL funding per programme will be set at a maximum of £7000 per annum. This includes £1000 for the business planning and 40% of the cost of any identified training as stated in the MAP training plan and agreed by DEL. For further information contact Management Development Branch- Tel: 028 9090 5336.

For information on other DEL inititiaves contact Mark McConville at [email protected]. Tel: 028 9090 5262. To connect to the DEL site click here

Prince's Trust- Offers support to business start-ups for those who are unemployed, aged 18-30. To connect to the Prince's Trust site click here

Ulster Community Investment Trust Ltd (UCIT)- UCIT lend to community organisations, charities and social enterprises, both large and small, located in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. For more information click here

E Synergy Ltd/ Spin Out Funds- The Queen's University Belfast Innovation Fund (QUBIF) is a £1 million venture capital fund, set up to invest in post Proof of Concept, pre-commercialisation spin-out companies.The Fund will make a number of seed and early stage investments over the four year period leading up to March 2014. For further information click here

Shell LiveWIRE- Offers free online business advice and support, funding and networking opportunities to new start ups. To connect to the website click here  

Banks and Building Societies
There are a range of banks and building societies in Enniskillen and indeed throughout County Fermanagh.  These include Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank, Northern Bank, Abbey National Bank, First Trust Bank, Halifax Bank, Progressive Building Society, Nationwide Building Society.

Accountants
There are many private accountancy practices throughout Fermanagh.  Please see the Business Directory for a list of accountants.

Health and Safety Executive for NI
Address: 83 Ladas Drive, Belfast BT6 9FR
Tel: 028 9024 3249

Fermanagh Chambers of Commerce
Mr Raymond McBrien
Irvinestown Chamber of Commerce
c/o Supervalu
Link Road
IRVINESTOWN

Ms Bridie Gormley
Belleek Chamber of Commerce
Main Street
BELLEEK
BT93 3FX

Mr Brian Cosgrove
Lisnaskea Chamber of Commerce
Drumbroughas North
LISNASKEA
BT92 0JE

The Network for Enterprising Women covers the Tyrone and Fermanagh region and has over 700 women on their database.  They have monthly networking meetings on Business topics and issue a monthly newsletter. For further details contact Teresa O'Loughlin on 028 6865 9759. For more information click here

SWARD (South West Action for Rural Development) is the delivery mechanism for Axis 3 of the NI Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 for the four District Council areas of Cookstown, Dungannon and South Tyrone, Fermanagh and Magherafelt. For more information click here

Broadband Providers

BT- Offers a range of broadband, phone and telephone services. Click here for further information.

North West Electronics- Offers a WiMAX service which is a wireless broadband solution. North West Electronics aim to reach all those rural and semi rural customers who want a high-speed broadband service at a reasonable price. For further information click here.

Net1- Wireless broadband provider which doesn't require a phone line and aim to cover rural areas with fast internet access. Click here for more information.

Onwave- Offers a broadband service through satellite technology to deliver fast and reliable broadband. For further information click here.

Internet Links
Fermanagh District Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.  If you find a problem with any internet link please notify the IT Department by email at [email protected] or contact the IT Department at the Townhall on 028 6632 5050.