Powering Ireland’s next wave of entrepreneurs

Carol Gibbons

Head of Entrepreneurship, Regions & Local Enterprise, Enterprise Ireland

From funding and mentoring, Enterprise Ireland is helping startups turn ambition into impact — at home and internationally.

Enterprise Ireland is committed to helping Irish entrepreneurs turn big ideas into thriving businesses. From the earliest stages of development to competing in global markets, we provide a wide range of support — funding, expert advice and valuable connections — to guide startups.

From concept to international ambition

The journey from idea to thriving enterprise is rarely straightforward. It takes determination, the right skills and access to the right resources at the right time. We offer tailored support to help founders build leadership capabilities, refine their strategies and connect with opportunities that can accelerate growth.

Funding to drive growth

A key initiative for early-stage businesses is the Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF). Open year-round to applicants from all sectors, PSSF offers up to €100,000 in funding for high-potential startups (HPSUs). This helps cover operational costs, develop market-ready products or services, conduct product testing and strengthen core skills within teams. Enterprise Ireland also provides investment for HPSUs and supports disruptive innovation through research commercialisation and other initiatives.

We are helping ensure that today’s
startups have every opportunity to
become tomorrow’s global success stories.

Connecting entrepreneurs locally and nationally

We work with the network of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), which provide accessible, on-the-ground support for thousands of businesses. LEOs are the first port of call for many entrepreneurs, offering training, mentoring and funding to help businesses start and grow.

Launched last year, the National Enterprise Hub (NEH) has strengthened this ecosystem by serving as a central access point for information and guidance. The Hub makes it easier for founders to find the right support — from funding queries to connections with training and networks. To date, over 6,500 SMEs have been supported by the all-of-Government NEH.

Building Ireland’s startup future

By providing the right mix of funding, advice and connections, we are helping ensure that today’s startups have every opportunity to become tomorrow’s global success stories.

Under our new five-year strategy, Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally (2025–2029), Enterprise Ireland is setting ambitious targets — including supporting 1,000 new startups and growing exports to €50 billion — while centring innovation, sustainability and regional scale-up as critical themes.