Local Enterprise Office Offaly’s Post

In case you missed it! The latest #Budget2026 brings strong news for local enterprise, with major investment to help Ireland’s small businesses grow, innovate, and compete globally. Key wins for Local Enterprise Offices and SMEs include: - Enhanced funding for Local Enterprise Offices – supporting more training, mentoring and grant schemes for small business growth, digitalisation, and climate readiness. - €1.3 billion for Enterprise and Tourism Development, including €800 million in 2026 capital spend – ensuring continued investment in innovation, start-ups, and regional enterprise supports. - €120 million for Scaling, Start-Up Ireland and Regional Funding – backing new and growing Irish businesses across every county. - Investment in AI, sustainability, and digital transformation – with the new AI Office of Ireland and expanded funding for technology adoption through LEOs. - Pro-enterprise tax measures – including increased R&D tax credits (35%), enhanced entrepreneur relief (up to €1.5m lifetime limit), and VAT cuts for hospitality and personal services. Minister Peter Burke reaffirmed that “where businesses thrive, jobs follow” — and these measures will help small businesses remain competitive, sustainable, and resilient. For local Laois enterprises, this Budget means more local supports, more innovation funding, and more opportunities to scale and succeed. Learn more about what we can do at localenterprise.ie #MakingItHappen #LocalEnterprise #Budget2026 #LaoisBusiness #LaoisBusiness #IrishSMEs #Entrepreneurship #DigitalIreland #AIforBusiness

If you’re working with UK SMEs, you’ll want to hear this: ✅ Almost half of them are gearing up to invest more in innovation — even with cost pressures all around. ① ✅ We now have ~5.7 million private sector businesses in the UK (start of 2025) -but a large chunk are solo or non‑employing operations.② ✅ Meanwhile, small firms are claiming a lot less in R&D tax relief — innovation fuel is getting harder to reach.③ What all this means: there’s a real opportunity here for growth, but also a serious risk of being left behind.😳 If I were you (yes, me), I’d be asking my SME clients: • What’s one innovation you’ll make happen this year (not “sometime”) • Are you structured to scale — or stuck in solo mode? • Are you missing incentives you should claim — because someone told you “it’s too complex”? 💥 Because in today’s UK SME world, being busy isn’t enough — being strategic is. Which of these two are you focusing on right now - boosting product/innovation investment, or reclaiming innovation tax‑incentives - and what’s your key next move?🤔 Sources: ① prnewswire.co.uk ② smeweb.com ③ impactpolicies.org

The success of small to medium businesses in Australia matters deeply. Even through a decade of slower productivity, and an economy too focused on minimising risk rather than maximising opportunity, they’ve remained the engine of our growth. When they thrive, our economy, our communities, and our living standards do too. In my recent survey, almost half of Wentworth business owners shared that trade is down compared to last year. Many are feeling the pressure of rising energy costs, staffing challenges, red tape, and limited access to finance. So as we wrap up Small Business Month, I want to highlight a few changes that could help turn that around – and get Australia back to growth. Last week, I spoke at the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI)'s Business Leaders' Summit, where I set out five priorities for reform: 1. Regulating for growth as well as risk: Australia should be the easiest place to start and grow a business, not the hardest 2. Creating the right environment for investment: our tax system should reward innovation, not complexity 3. Transitioning our energy system at the lowest cost: we can tackle climate change and keep power affordable if we prioritise efficiency and stability 4. Backing innovation and AI: small, young firms drive productivity, and need clear policy direction and access to finance to thrive 5. Spending accountability and budget discipline: sustainable budgets and responsible spending today are essential to meet the pressures of tomorrow Because if we don’t have a plan for prosperity, we don’t have a plan for the country. To the small business owners out there, thank you for sharing your ideas, experiences and evidence. Please continue to do so; your voices shape the reforms that Australia needs. If you’d like to read my full speech from the summit, you can find it here: https://shorturl.at/rQIAB

🔍 Are you considering the right structure for your business or investment in Australia? Our latest piece by Trustify explores the discretionary trust model — a structure often preferred by families, small group ventures or businesses holding significant assets. Why it could be a strong choice: The trustee holds assets and decides how profits are distributed, offering flexibility and asset protection. Trustify Potential benefits include tax-planning options, capital gains tax advantages and estate planning benefits. Trustify Things to watch out for: Setup and ongoing costs plus administrative complexity. Trustify If profits aren’t distributed by the end of the financial year (30 June), the trust may face the highest marginal tax rate. Trustify Ideal for: businesses with multiple beneficiaries, valuable assets or intellectual property, or those aiming for long-term wealth and succession planning. Less suited for solo operations or earliest-stage startups seeking simplicity. Trustify 👉 Read the full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/gjbxk6Wj #BusinessStrategy #TrustStructures #FinancialPlanning #CorporateGovernance #Australia

Across the UK, SMEs overwhelmingly agree that access to funding is vital to growth. This was one of the key messages from our recent roundtable in Teesside, with clear calls for the need for greater transparency and simplicity when navigating public funding – especially for research, innovation and investment. That’s why the Government's new “Introduction to the UK Public Investment Landscape” is such a timely and valuable resource. Published earlier today, the explainer provides a clear overview of how the UK’s key public finance institutions work together to unlock investment and support businesses of all sizes. It sets out what each institution offers, what areas they focus on and how to get in touch to find out more. It also highlights the important role of devolved and regional institutions, including the The Scottish National Investment Bank, the Development Bank of Wales, and Invest Northern Ireland, as well as specialist bodies such as Great British Energy, Homes England, and The Crown Estate, which help deliver growth across the UK’s nations and regions. A particularly important message from the explainer is that there is “no wrong door into the landscape”. Each institution has a shared duty to collaborate and direct businesses to the right source of support, helping investment proposals get off the ground more efficiently. For SMEs, investors and local authorities alike, this publication serves as a practical roadmap to the UK’s public investment ecosystem, providing greater visibility, coordination and accessibility across the full spectrum of funding and support available. You can read the full explainer here: http://bit.ly/3IVN5yP To get involved in our work or register your interest for one of our events, please contact chris.herman@northpointstrategy.co.uk

Every founder knows: you can’t spreadsheet your way to growth so why is our government thinking they can? The countries that lead in productivity and jobs all do one thing consistently, they invest in builders. Look at what works: ✅ The US bet big on advanced manufacturing through the CHIPS Act, matching private capital pound for pound ✅ Germany’s Mittelstand model keeps innovation local with R&D tax credits and patient regional banks ✅ Even the UK has proof at home: every £1 spent on R&D returns up to £7 to the economy so why do we keep making it harder to build? Endless rule changes. Short-term funding pots. R&D reliefs that reward paperwork, not progress. Here’s how to fix it - properly this time: ✅ Lock in EIS & SEIS permanently. Stop moving the goalposts. Long-term capital needs long-term certainty ✅ Reform R&D relief around shipped product. If customers are using it, it counts! ✅ Match private innovation funding with public capital. A £1 for £1 Innovation Partnership Fund that crowds in VCs and family offices ✅ Open a national R&D skills accelerator. Let apprentices train on live start-up projects and earn equity, not just wages These aren’t slogans, they’re signals. They tell founders the government believes in their capacity to create value. Because growth doesn’t come from compliance. It comes from trust, capital and time. 👉 Founders - if you had to choose one reform to unlock growth in 2026, what would it be? #UKBudget #Innovation #EIS #InvestInGrowth #Founders #Economy #R&D #Skills

The findings from the recent #SmallBusinessForum from @Toronto Small Business Enterprise Centre and my analysis of Canadian Federation of Independent Business's report confirm what Toronto's SMEs are feeling: Red tape is still a heavy burden. 😫 I investigated the trends of 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 from 2015 to 2025, data courtesy of CFIB's Red Tape Report analysis(https://lnkd.in/gE4zu7rr) and uncovered some key insights: 📉 𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 10-𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝑻𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅: 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝑷𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒔: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬 and 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐱 & 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐱 remain the two most consistently burdensome regulations for SMEs. This clearly shows where our focus needs to be. 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆: Concerns related to 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 have increased significantly, rising from an 8% burden in 2015 to 16% by 2025. This area requires urgent attention. 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔! The barriers associated with 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 have notably declined over the past decade. A great win for procurement access! 📰 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔: For all my fellow entrepreneurs and SME ecosystem builders: we don't have to just live with this! The City of Toronto is actively seeking input to streamline approvals and modernize regulations. ➡️ Take Action Now: The Red Tape Hotline Survey is open until Sunday, November 30! Your input will directly guide efforts to remove these barriers. 🔗 Complete the Survey: https://lnkd.in/gVx3-R3C Let's work together to create an environment where Toronto SMEs don't just survive, but THRIVE! Credit: Insights drawn from CFIB's red tape report, authored by Laure-Anna Bomal and Marvin Cruz 👀 See the full picture! Dive into the interactive dashboard below to visualize the 10-year trend of municipal regulations and their impact on SMEs in the comment 👇 #TorontoSME #SmallBusiness #RedTape #BusinessSupport #Entrepreneurship #CityofToronto #CFIB

As work begins on the 28th regime for #EUcompanies, commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva argues it must be broad and uniform. A regulation applying directly across member states, not a directive with 27 interpretations, could finally make the Single Market real for entrepreneurs. 📌 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dGmzaM6A

Europe’s startups deserve a level field. EU–INC is creating one: unified registration, consistent rules, cross-border freedom. Time to build without borders.

'To support entrepreneurs, Europe must establish an EU-wide framework that simplifies and harmonizes rules for companies operating across borders – what the European Commission refers to as the ’28th regime.’ https://lnkd.in/e2kkYr5Z