Clients of the Enterprise Acceleration Centre have all the advantages of operating within a leading edge business environment encompassing customised offices, managed print facility, high-speed broadband, restaurant, and board room and meeting room facilities.

Our Focus

The Centre facilitates the transition from education, research and employment to ‘start up business success’ by assisting clients in two complimentary areas: Research Commercialisation; and early stage Enterprise Start Up.

• Research Commercialisation

As of July 2008, Shannon ABC occupies 150 square metres of dedicated research space in the EAC.

The second key strand of activity in supporting Research Commercialisation is assisting in the preparation of applications for Proof of Concept grant applications to Enterprise Ireland.

LIT is also open to meet companies who who may wish to locate dedicated research commercialisation activity in the Centre thereby creating a strategic research linkage with the Institute.

 

• Enterprise Start Up

The Centre has 17 business incubation units available to entrepreneurs with early stage companies who meet the criteria set by Enterprise Ireland for High Potential Start-Ups (HPSUs). Each of these units is approximately 25 square metres each and can comfortably accommodate 1 to 4 people. There are several accommodation offerings for start up business clients. The first option is to take a unit or units while other options include our ‘ready to go shared office solution’ or ‘hot desks’ while virtual incubation services are also available.  

 

Our Value-added service

Clients of the EAC can access mentoring, business planning, support, advice and professional guidance on issues facing business.These services are tailored to the stage of development of each client company. By combining the leading edge facilities and services, the EAC assists companies to develop as high performance SMEs.

The LEAP Programme - one year

The LEAP programme is delivered by the management of the Enterprise Acceleration Centre. Participants are provided office accommodation in the Centre at no charge for the duration of the program. The LEAP – Limerick Enterprise Acceleration Platform - programme facilitates early stage business entrepreneurs, to develop an investor ready business plan. Now in its second year, the programme offers an unrivalled range of supports to include management development training, access to financial supports offered by Enterprise Ireland and specialist one to one business development sessions with LEAP programme manager Graham Royce. The EAC sponsors a Business Plan Competition with a prize fund of €10,000 at the end of the year for LEAP participant companies.

The EnterpriseSTART programme - 6 weeks

 

The EnterpriseSTART programme, developed nationally by Enterprise Ireland and FÁS, is for men and women entrepreneurs with aspirations to run growth driven businesses offering innovative products and services. It is run out of office hours, in a series of 12 sessions, over 6 consecutive weekends. The EAC runs two EnterpriseSTART programmes each year for up commencing in January and October respectively.  

Regional Links

The Enterprise Acceleration Centre also provides a focal point for the forging and enhancement of linkages between LIT and the enterprise sector in the Mid-West region. The External Services office is located at the EAC. Future LIT recruits in areas such as Technology Transfer and Research Commercialisation will also have strong linkages with the EAC.

 

 

** Entrepreneurs and enterprising people

Bill Bolton and John Thompson define entrepreneurs as

'People who create and innovate to build something of perceived value around opportunities they spot.'

P.47 John Thompson, "Enabling Entrepreneurs - Maximising Effectiveness in Advising, Coaching, Mentoring and Incubating New Businesses" Published by the University of Huddersfield/UK Business Incubation, 2006.

 

Some people look at things and say why; I see things that never were and say why not!
(G.B Shaw)