The Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs) have emerged from a process to refresh and refocus the Regional Action Plan for Jobs (RAPJ) initiative which originally focused on the 2015-2017/8 period. The purpose of the refresh and refocus was to further build on the positive regional collaboration fostered by the RAPJs over the period to 2020, taking account of the changed and improved economic circumstances nationally, the emergence of new challenges to enterprise development and competitiveness both domestically and internationally in origin, including Brexit, and a need to achieve more balanced regional development.
The REPs were shared as a Good Practice by Irish Partners Cork Institute of Technology on behalf of the Irish Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation at the Interreg Europe Foundation project meeting and Workshop ‘Economic Regional Resilience and Regional Adaptation’ hosted by Oldham Council in on the 4th of February 2020.
Image: Launch of the South-West Regional Enterprise Plan on 1/03/19 at the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, Co. Cork. L-R: Minister Michael Creed, Heather Humphreys, Chair of the South-West REP Steering Committee and CEO of the Ludgate Hub, Adrienne Harrington; Minister Jim Daly.
The REPs provide perspective and ideas from the ‘ground-up’. They are informed by an understanding of unique local strengths and assets and have the potential to enable more effective translation of national policy into regional and local impact. They focus on leveraging the added value from regional and local actors working collaboratively, and in so doing, they aim to complement and build on the existing activities being undertaken by the Enterprise Agencies, the LEOs and the wider range of State Bodies directly involved in supporting enterprise development in the regions. As a result, the Plans are focused on a suite of selected priority objectives requiring a collaborative regional effort and are not meant to be comprehensive economic development strategies on their own. The Regional Steering Committees will oversee these Plans as “live” agendas. Through them new ideas and collaborative initiatives can be propagated and national policy initiatives which can be effectively translated into regional impact; for example, in areas such as climate action and the digital economy.
The REPs are an integral part of the broader policy system aimed at driving economic growth and sustaining better standards of living throughout Ireland. As a ‘bottom-up’ initiative, the Plans complement national level policies and programmes emanating from a ‘top-down’ and in particular, there is strong alignment with Ireland’s national enterprise policy, Enterprise 2025 Renewed.
To complement the Regional Enterprise Plans, the Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) was rolled out by Enterprise Ireland. The fund was introduced to support the development and implementation of collaborative and innovative projects that can sustain and add to employment at county, regional and national level. A new €45m (Call 3) of the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) was announced in June 2019. This call continues to support the development and implementation of collaborative and innovative projects in the regions.
Image: L-R: Terence O’Rourke, Chairman, Enterprise Ireland; Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland; Minister Heather Humphreys TD and Mark Christal, Manager Regions and Entrepreneurship, Enterprise Ireland
Minister Humphreys in announcing the REDF call said: “I am delighted to announce the third call of the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, which is worth €45 million. Collaboration is central to the Fund. It encourages regional stakeholders, both public and private sector, to work together and bring forward initiatives that build on each region’s strengths. Crucially, the Fund will help build Brexit resilience and supports the vision of the nine new Regional Enterprise Plans. The Plans take a 'ground up' approach to maximise business development and job creation in every part of the country.”
Cost of developing and rolling out the REPs were approximately, €300,000 for setting up and running the initiative regarding staff time in developing the programme and its various elements. The regional cost stands at approximately €90,000 per annum to hire a Programme Manager and support their travel and participation at regional co-operative events.
Image: On Tuesday 21st May 2019, the Action Learning Cluster Development Workshop - a Key Action from the SOUTH-WEST Regional Enterprise Plan to 2020 was delivered by CIT on behalf of the Department of Business, Enterprise, and Innovation.
For further information: contact Ross Church, Programme Manager, South-West REP
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: https://dbei.gov.ie/en/Publications/South-West-Regional-Enterprise-Plan-to-2020.html
