Call for returned emigrants to Mayo to apply for Back for Business
THE call is open for applicants for a free initiative to help returned emigrants to Mayo start and develop businesses in Ireland.
This is the fourth year of the highly-successful Back for Business developmental programme, which is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Past participants on the first three years of the programme have recorded increased sales, created new jobs, and won export contracts. The combined turnover of the 2020 group tripled during the programme, despite the Covid pandemic.
The Back for Business initiative was established to foster and support entrepreneurial activity among returned emigrants or those returning to live in Ireland. It addresses the challenges that all early-stage entrepreneurs encounter, as well as the additional barriers faced by those who have been living outside the country for some time.
Back for Business is aimed at those who have lived abroad for at least a year and have returned in the last three years or those planning to return to live in Ireland in the near future. (Eligibility criteria applies).
The call is open for applications for the 2021 programme, which will run from February to July 2021. There is no charge for those selected to participate. The closing date for applications is January 25.
There are places this year for up to 40 entrepreneurs to participate for the first time in Back for Business, with an additional 10 places being made available on a further development phase for those who completed a cycle previously.
Those interested in learning more can download a brochure and register their interest in receiving an application form by logging onto https://www.backforbusiness.com/.
The lead entrepreneurs, who participate in a voluntary capacity, are the backbone of the Back for Business initiative. This year’s lead entrepreneurs are Áine Denn, co-founder and formerly of Altify; Heather Reynolds, co-founder of Eishtec, which has been acquired by Infosys BPM; Nikki Evans, founder of PerfectCard, now part of EML Payments; Thomas Ennis, founder of the Thomas Ennis Group, and Susan Spence, co-founder and President of SoftCo.
Shane Bourke of Irish Office Space, who was a participant on Back for Business 2, said: “Starting a business is scary, especially when you have lived abroad for a number of years. This programme provides support, guidance and counsel. The workshops are a terrific asset and the round tables allow you to drill into your business strategy.”
The deadline for completed applications for Back to Business is January 25, 2021. For more information or to register your interest in receiving an application form, please see https://www.backforbusiness.com/.