Through the assistance available from these bodies, it is possible for the small business to avail of a wide range of expertise and advice which can be adopted and help to and enhance the development of a successful enterprise.

Enterprise Support Agencies work on a partnership basis ensuring the client receives the best support available. Each agency offers tailored packages to suit investors and promote the development of the local economy. Due to its location within the BMW Region, State Agencies may be able to financially assist businesses operating in the County.

Listed below are the range of agencies of Westmeath that may be able to assist you :

Westmeath County Enterprise Board Ltd.

Business Information Centre
Church Avenue, Mullingar
Co. Westmeath
Tel: (044) 9349222
Fax: (044) 9349009
Email: info@westmeath-enterprise.ie
Website: www.westmeath-enterprise.ie

Westmeath County Enterprise Board is one of 35 City & County Enterprise Boards established to meet the needs of micro-enterprises within the County. County Enterprise Boards offer a wide range of services including the provision of enterprise advice and assistance, financial assistance and business development training. Westmeath County Enterprise Board Ltd. has a Business Information Centre which offers a wide range of business information and public internet access for business research. The Boards are funded by the Irish Government and part-funded by the European Union under the National Development Plan 2000-2006.

Athlone e-Com

Civic Centre

Church Street

Athlone

Co. Westmeath

Tel : 09064-42161 / 42162

Email : info@athlone.ie

Website : www.athlone.ie

Athlone eCom offers a range of support services to the local, voluntary and business community, including Free event listings, free classifieds and free recruitment board. It also offers web development, maintenance and search engine optimisation services. Athlone eCom also facilitates and administers domain registration and hosting services.

Athlone Community Taskforce

Parnell Square
Athlone
Co. Westmeath
Tel: (090) 64 94555
Fax: (090) 64 93311
Email: athlonecommunitytaskforce@eircom.net
Web: http://www.actathlone.ie/

Athlone Community Taskforce is a local development structure supporting a fully operational Business Development Centre, which incorporates provision of Workspace Units, Business Advisory Service, Financial Support, Business Training as well as local development initiatives.

Athlone Institute of Technology

Dublin Road, Athlone.
Tel: (090) 6424400 Fax: (090) 6424417
Email: webmaster@ait.ie
www.ait.ie

Athlone Institute of Technology is strongly committed to the economic and social development of the Midlands region. The Institute is driving partnership with both industry and community through the services of a number of departments:-

The External Services Unit
The Midlands Business Innovation Centre
The Continuing and Adult Education
Competitive Business Intelligence Unit

Each of these departments working in co-operation with each other have a number of initiatives to drive and develop capability, innovation and creativity in the region.

Chambers of Commerce

Athlone Chamber of Commerce
Lloyds Lane
Athlone
Tel: (090) 6473173
Fax: (090) 6474386
Email: athcci@iol.ie
www.athlonechamber.ie

Mullingar Chamber of Commerce
ACC House
Dominick Street
Mullingar
Tel: (044) 9344044
Fax: (044) 9344045
Email: info@mullingar-chamber.ie
www.mullingar-chamber.ie

The Chambers work for the interests of businesses and for the economic development of the towns and region.

Department of Social & Family Affairs

Athlone Office (Mr. Eamon Fahy) Mullingar Office (Mr. Sean Keegan)
Tel: (090) 64 92461 Tel: (044) 9334221

The Department of Social, Community & Family Affairs administer a number of supports to employees and employers including the Back toWork Allowance / Area Allowance and the Employers’ PRSI Exemption Scheme. Other supports which may be available from the Department are grants for training, market research, business plans and start-up funding.

Failte Ireland East & Midlands Tourism

Dublin Road, Mullingar
Tel: (044) 9348761, Fax: (044) 9340413
Email: info@eastcoastmidlands.ie
Web: http://www.eastcoastmidlands.ie

East Coast & Midlands Tourism provides services in four main areas: planning, servicing, development and marketing of tourism related activities.

Enterprise Ireland

Auburn, Dublin Road,
Athlone,
Co Westmeath, Ireland.
Tel: (090) 6487100
Fax: (090) 6487101
www.enterprise-ireland.ie
Email: margaret.hennessy@enterprise-ireland.com

Enterprise Ireland is a government organisation charged with assisting the development of Irish enterprise. Enterprise Ireland clients are mainly Irish manufacturing and internationally traded services companies employing ten or more people, and overseas food & natural resources companies operating in Ireland. Enterprise Ireland also administers national and EU supports for building technological innovation capability and co-operation between industry and higher educational institutions.

Enterprising Westmeath Network

Unit B, Harbour Court

Friars Mill Road, Mullingar

Tel : 086-8163221 / 044-9345060.

Email : info@ewn.ie

Website : www.ewn.ie

This network was formed in 2002. Membership of the Network is drawn from people throughout County Westmeath who are involved in self-employment and enterprise. Supports include network support, on line business directory, annual exhibitions and promotions, business to business support.

FÁS

FÁS
Church Avenue
Mullingar
Tel: (044) 9348805 Fax: (044) 9343978
Email: mullingar@fas.ie
www.fas.ie

FÁS
Regional Training Centre
Garrycastle
Athlone
Tel: (090) 6474481
Email: athlone@fas.ie
www.fas.ie

FÁS
Townhouse Centre
St. Mary’s Square
Athlone
Tel: (09064) 75 288
Email: athlone@fas.ie
www.fas.ie

FÁS provides an extensive range of services to businesses in Ireland. These services cover small, medium and large firms, indigenous and foreign firms. FÁS provides training programmes to assist business and also provides a training advisory service on a regional basis. In addition, FÁS provides a ‘job-bank service’, FÁS callnet (1850-66-77-66)

Investment and Development Agency (IDA) Ireland

Garrycastle Business & Technology Park, Dublin Road, Athlone
Co. Westmeath
Tel: (090) 6471500
Fax: (090) 6471550
Website: www.idaireland.com
Email: athloneex@ida.ie

IDA Ireland has national responsibility for securing new investment from overseas in manufacturing and international services sectors and for encouraging existing foreign enterprises in Ireland to expand their businesses.In general, IDA Ireland can provide a range of grant aid for new industry, including capital grants, employment grants and training grants. Grants are also available towards investment in R&D facilities. IDA can use one type of grant or a combination of grants to offer a ‘grants package’ which will be calculated as an overall amount of grant per job based on the number of jobs to be created by the grant-aided project. Therefore, in many cases, an important determination of the total grant package is the number of jobs to be created by the company.

Mullingar Employment Action Group

Enterprise Centre
Bishopsgate Street
Mullingar
Co. Westmeath
Tel: (044) 9343444
Email: meag@eircom.net

The Mullingar Action Group provides assistance, support and advice to businesses in Mullingar and its surrounding districts either directly, or indirectly, in a partnership approach with other agencies concerned with business development. Their range of services include:-

Train entrepreneurs in Business Management and start-up.
Help source finance for new businesses.
Help formulate business plans
Train people in work practices, standards, output and principles.
Provide starter / incubator units for start up businesses at affordable rates
Provide office back-up facilities for start up businesses
Act as a first point of contact for businesses wishing to set up in the Mullingar area.

Revenue Commissioners

Government Offices
Pearse Stree,
Athlone,
Co. Westmeath
Tel: (090) 6421800
Email: athlntax@revenue.ie

Responsible for the efficient collection of taxes and duties and implementing import and export controls, the RevenueCommissioners provide a wide range of related services including a comprehensive information and advice service which can be accessed via their website at www.revenue.ie or by phone at 1980 605090.

Teagasc

Teagasc
Bellview
Dublin Road
Mullingar
Tel: (044) 9340721
Fax: (044) 9340327
www.teagasc.ie
Email: mmerriman@westmeath.teagasc.ie

Teagasc
Dublin Road
Moate
Co. Westmeath
Tel: (090) 6481167
Fax: (090) 6482085
www.teagasc.ie

Teagasc provides integrated research, advisory and training services for the agriculture and food industry in Ireland. They are a semi-state organisation established under legislation enacted by the Irish government.

WESTBIC

Roscommon Enterprise Centre

Racecourse Road

Roscommon

Tel : 090 6625196

Email : jdonlon@westbic.ie

Website : www.westbic.ie

WESTBIC Business & Innovation Centre provides tailored support to innovative enterprises from concept to commercialisation. Estabished in 1987, supports include : incubation space, seed capital, mentoring support, networking, community enterprise, training and implementation of enterprise-led cross border and EU programmes.

Westmeath County Childcare Committee

6, St. John's Terrace,
Blackhall,
Mullingar.
Tel: (044) 9335454
Fax: (044) 9347962
www.westmeathchildcare.ie
Email: westmeathcountychildcare@eircom.net

Westmeath County Childcare Committee was established in May 2001 and is a key element of the Government’s co-ordinated strategy to develop quality childcare in Ireland. Amongst the key aims of the Committee are:-

Develop a coordinated strategy for childcare provision in Westmeath
Increase the supply of Childcare Services
Support and develop local networks of Child Providers

Westmeath County Council

County Buildings, Mullingar
Tel: (044) 9332000
www.westmeathcoco.ie
Email: secretary@westmeathcoco.ie

Westmeath County Council is committed to providing the sustainable development of the County, providing the services that the public seek and need, in an equitable, efficient and effective manner and ensuring social inclusion.Westmeath County Council provides a range of services in the following areas:-

Economic Development and Planning
Environment
Transportation and Infrastructure
Community & Enterprise
Housing, Social & Cultural Development

Westmeath County Development Board

Community & Enterprise Office
Westmeath County Council, County Buildings, Mullingar
Tel: (044) 9332137
Email: dce@westmeathcoco.ie
www.westmeathcoco.ie/services/cdb

The County Development Board is a statutory body, established by the Government to address the need for greater integration and co-ordination of local services provision at County level. Members of the Board are drawn from four sectors: Local Government, State Agencies active at local level, Local Development Agencies and Social Partners (including the Community and Voluntary Sector). Economic Development and Planning EnvironmentTransportation and InfrastructureCommunity & Enterprise Housing, Social & Cultural Development Develop a coordinated strategy for childcare provision in Westmeath Increase the supply of Childcare Services Support and develop local networks of Child Providers

Westmeath Community Development Ltd.

2nd Floor, Presentation House
Harbour Street, Mullingar.
Tel: (044) 9348571
Fax: (044) 9348441
Email: westcd@iol.ie
Web: http://www.westcd.ie/

Westmeath Community Development is a local development organisation which is owned and operated by the community in partnership with the statutory agencies, social partners and the local authorities. The creation and maintenance of employment for all members of society in the county is central to its work under:

(a) The Leader+ Programme
(b) The National Rural Development Programme
(c) The Local Development Social Inclusion Programme

Westmeath Territorial Employment Pact

Adult Education Centre
Austin Friars Street
Mullingar
Tel: (044) 9342111
Email: tep@eircom.net

Westmeath TEP is one of four Territorial Employment Pacts in Ireland. Growing out of an EU initiative in 1997, they are now funded under the National Development Plan. While TEP does not fund individual entrepreneurs it is open to funding research which supports particular initiatives or activities which support the strategic interests of groups/sectors with a contribution to make to the local employment market

Westmeath Tourism

Westmeath Tourism
Marketing Office
C/O Westmeath Community Development
2nd Floor Presentation House
Harbour Street
Mullingar
Tel: (044) 9348571
Fax: (044) 9348441
Email: info@westmeathtourism.com
www.westmeathtourism.com

Westmeath Tourism promotes local tourist attractions, accommodation, activities, festivals and events in the Westmeath area. They have developed a web site which provides links to and information on the various towns located in the Westmeath area such as Mullingar, Kinnegad, and Athlone. A listing of Bord Failte approved accommodation as well as activities can be found on the website with links to the relevant company websites.

Westmeath County Enterprise Board, Church Avenue, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath Tel: 044-9349222 Fax: 044-9349009 Email: info@westmeath-enterprise.ie Company Registration: 229546