SUPPORTING BUSINESSES ACCESS TO FINANCE - THE IMPACT IN YOUR AREA

Northern Ireland Small Business Loan Fund

The Small Business Loan Fund (NISBLF) is funded by Invest NI as part of their ‘Access to Finance Strategy’, and is delivered by the partnership of Enterprise Northern Ireland and Community Investment Trust.

Launched in April 2013, NISBLF has now provided funding to over 220 small businesses that either could not access tradi- tional mainstream funding from the banks or who have ex- hausted existing facilities. The total value of these loans is just under £5 million, with a further £2 million per year available for lending going forward. The impact in

The fund has allowed many businesses to pursue a wide range of projects, safeguarding and creating new jobs as part of their growth and expansion plans.

Between April 2013 to March 2016, in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area: 9 NISBLF loans have been dispersed, worth £185,500 Aghanloo Industrial Estate Type of business securing loan Aghanloo Road New businesses 1 Limavady Existing businesses 8 BT49 0HE Enterprise Northern Ireland, Loan recipients by business sector Tel: 028 7776 3555 through its regional network of Web: www.enterpriseni.com Catering, Hospitality Digital Media Leisure/ Local Enterprise Agencies, delivers a & Tourism & Technology Personal Services comprehensive suite of programmes Local Enterprise Agencies in Mid and East Antrim Borough and business support interventions to Council area: help new businesses start, and existing 1 3 1 business develop and grow, in the Mid and Business Centre East Antrim Borough Council area. Manufacturing Professional Retailing/ Services wholesale Tel: 028 2565 8616 Web: www.ballymenabusiness.co.uk Email: [email protected] This publication details the significant contribution made by Enterprise Northern

1 1 2 Enterprise Ireland in terms of delivering pre-enterprise Tel: 028 9336 9528 and start-up support, and financial Jobs safeguarded by Jobs created by Web:www.ceal.co.uk assistance, to new and existing businesses receipt of Northern Ireland receipt of Northern Ireland Email: [email protected] in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Small Business Loan Small Business Loan Council area over the past three years*. 30 full-time jobs 11 full-time jobs Local Economic Development Company Ltd (LEDCOM) 16 part-time jobs 6 part-time jobs Tel: 028 2826 9973 Web: www.ledcom.org Email: [email protected] SUPPORTING BUSINESS PRE-START – THE IMPACT IN YOUR AREA SUPPORTING BUSINESS START-UP – THE IMPACT IN YOUR AREA SUPPORTING BUSINESSES ACCESS TO FINANCE - THE IMPACT IN YOUR AREA

Exploring Enterprise3 Programme Regional Start Initiative Enterprise Northern Ireland Exploring Enterprise3 programme (EE3p) is a pre-start Regional Start is the national business start-up programme Start-Up Loan Fund enterprise programme targeting disadvantaged groups who are for Northern Ireland. Regional Start has been delivered by Start Up Loans through Enterprise Northern Ireland are offered unemployed/economically inactive, or are working/training less Enterprise Northern Ireland and the Local Enterprise Agency to new business start-ups or those who have been trading for than 16 hours per week. It provides them with the opportunity network since the programme’s inception in October 2012. less than two years. Offered to those who have been unable to explore self-employment as an option to enter and/or Enterprise Northern Ireland and its members have therefore to secure funding through a high street bank, the Enterprise return to the labour market. made a significant impact in terms of helping, nationally, more Northern Ireland Start Up Loan Fund is playing a key role in than 11,000 would-be business owners to develop business boosting the economy by giving more people the chance to The programme provides an insight into starting a business plans and start new enterprises through the provision of a make their entrepreneurial dream a reality. Since its inception whilst allowing participants to work towards achieving a CCEA range of guidance, support, training and business clinics to in November 2013 to 31st March 2016, Enterprise Northern Level I Understanding Business Enterprise qualification, and develop and grow businesses. Ireland distributed 379 Start Up Loans totalling £2,078,628.58 assists individuals into and through the mainstream business to new businesses across Northern Ireland. support/further education options, such as FE colleges. It *Between October 2012 to March 2016, provides work study visits to local businesses, mentoring in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area: *Between November 2013 to March 2016, in the Mid and East support, pre-training personal development assessment and 633 business Antrim Borough Council area: a post-training personal development plan to help improve 633 Regional Start business plans produced plans £112,958 participant’s skills and employability prospects. 21 Enterprise Northern Ireland Start Up Breakdown by age Participants Qualification gained Loans were approved, worth £112,958 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Loan recipients by business sector Male 74 59 211 166 135 61 1 Construction/ Food/ Leisure/ Manual 135 116 138 Female 64 Manufacturing Drink Sport Services

Total: 251 Breakdown by economic status 1 2 5 1 Carer 5 Employed Full-time 172 Professional Retailing Other Outcomes Employed Part-time 59 Services Home Maker 13 Long-Term Sick 9 Into Into self- Into education/ Other 16 Retired 10 employment: 39 employment: 16 training: 24 4 3 5 Self-employed 44 Unemployed < 1yr 177 20 19 7 9 13 11 Unemployed > 1yr 128 Loan recipients by age Loan recipients by gender 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 18-24 2 25-34 6 3 Breakdown by emerging business sector Exploring Enterprise Programme is part-funded through the 35-44 7 Agri-food Childcare/ Construction Creative Engineering Green/ Hospitality 17 4 Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014- Healthcare Industries Renewable & Tourism 45-54 6 2020, the Department3 for the Economy, Enterprise Northern 55-64 - Ireland, the Local Enterprise Agencies and Mid and East Antrim Boroughprogramme Council. 14 11 44 61 27 4 40 Mentoring support is known to increase the chances of Leisure/ success as it can strengthen the business and the individual’s Life Professional ICT Personal Manufacturing Retailing Other *(Reporting period April 2013 – March 2016) Sciences Services Services entrepreneurial skills. Post-loan mentoring is offered to all 3 Enterprise Northern Ireland Start Up Loan recipients. In Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area:

programme 11 147 1 25 109 62 77 Accepted mentoring 16

Enterprise Northern Ireland is an official Delivery Partner of the Start Up Loans Company.