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29 Mar 2026
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29 Mar 2026
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A Local Enterprise Office event celebrating National Women's Enterprise Day at Kilkenny Castle
The Local Enterprise Development Plan (LEDP) for 2026-2027 was presented before a Strategic Policy Committee (SCP) meeting on Thursday, laying out how the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) aims to continue supporting small businesses in Kilkenny.
The LEDP is a strategic framework developed by each of the 31 LEOs, detailing a tailored plan that aligns with national strategies to foster entrepreneurship, job creation and economic resilience at the local level.
The relatively short lifespan is intended to make the plan adaptable to local and global trade according to Kilkenny LEO’s Aileen McGrath during the presentation.
The office’s annual budget is linked to performance metrics and the plan must align with the national LEO policy statement for 2024-2030 which focuses on future-proofing small business in Ireland through several pillars.
These include integrating decarbonisation and net zero commitments, placing digital transformation at the heart of enterprise policy and strengthening the Irish-owned exporting sector.
The vision outlined in the Kilkenny plan states its aim “to develop and sustain a positive enterprise ecosystem at local level that will in particular drive new added-value startups, the further growth of small enterprises, increase exports and enhance the economy.”
Data on multiple aspects of the output of services provided by Kilkenny LEO was also laid out alongside targets for growth over the course of 2026 such as the aim to increase the office’s client portfolio from 192 to 195 this year.
Additionally, the awarding of green supports like energy efficiency grants averaged just under seven per year between 2021 and 2025 with the target for 2026 standing at 18,
In the uptake of mentoring services, the LEO is hoping to increase the uptake of participants in management development programmes to 90 from an average of just over 50 per year since 2020.
The plan received unanimous approval from the Committee with Chairperson, Cllr Michael Doyle (FG) commenting that the “LEO definitely offers an unbelievable service” and the “quality of service and advice is second to none.”
Article funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
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