AQO 3431/08

Mrs Naomi Long
Alliance Party
East Belfast

Tabled Date: 29/04/2008
Answered On Date: 12/05/2008
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to detail his plans to support pre-enterprise initiatives.

Answer:

Invest NI supports a range of pre-enterprise initiatives targeted at young people, women and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Within the Higher Education sector, the agency provides funding to the Northern Ireland Centre for Entrepreneurship. As a partnership between the two universities, Northern Ireland Centre for Entrepreneurship has embedded entrepreneurship across the Science, Engineering and Technology and non-Science, Engineering and Technology faculties.

Invest NI also sponsors the annual Global Entrepreneurship Week. This event is designed to inspire young people to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship.

The agency offers a wide range of programmes to encourage the development of seed and early-stage companies, particularly in the technology-based sector. The Energy Research and Knowledge Transfer Group, facilitated by Invest NI, supports pre-enterprise activity by bringing together representatives from companies and individual entrepreneurs to discuss new opportunities for energy related products and services. The Group has direct links to local universities, further education colleges and Invest NI business support and research and development programmes.

Invest NI's Technical Advisory Unit offers support to pre-enterprise through the Business Innovation Link programme. This can provide individuals with financial support of up to £5,000 and advice towards product ideas that are patentable and have market potential.