Background
Leitrim County Enterprise Fund was established in 1988 with the assistance and support of the International Fund for Ireland. A company limited by guarantee, its Board is widely representative of local business, industrial, professional, farming and community personnel.
The company’s aims are to assist and support small and medium sized enterprises in job creation by offering low interest loans with the County.
The Board in association with ADM/CPA, Department of Social and Family Affairs and Leitrim Partnership administer the Leitrim Loan Fund which is specifically targeted towards the long-term unemployed and socially excluded.
Company History, Mission, Values & Strategies
The Board’s most recent strategy has become more socially focused with the implementation of the Leitrim Loan Fund targeted at long-term unemployed, women and socially excluded groups who find it difficult to secure seed finance for new micro enterprises from mainstream financial institutions.
The Fund have also developed The Hive, Leitrim’s Technology Enterprise Centre, which provides a suite of business and support services to new established businesses. The Hive is conveniently located in Carrick-on-Shannon Business Park.
Other projects include The Lough Allen Education Centre which is used for delivering training to socially excluded trainees as well as other programmes. The Board make up have reflected this trend by welcoming more community groups and Leitrim Partnership into its Board.
The Leitrim Loan Fund
The Leitrim Loan Fund was set up in 2000 in response to a gap in the market for low interest loans for the unemployed and socially excluded who wished to start up a new business in the County. A number of agencies came together and formed a consortium and contributed monies to implement this new Start-up Fund.
