Council Encourages Business Start Ups across the Borough

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is encouraging entrepreneurship with a range of upcoming programmes soon to be on offer. Following the success of the ‘Go for It’ programme, which offers support to people interested in starting a new business by helping them to develop their business plans, a new regional programme is currently being developed. This follows the Council over-achieving their job creation target of 80 jobs, with 106 jobs being created in 2019-20.

The Council also has a Coaching and Support Programme which offers up to five hours business coaching and a bursary of up to £200 to support the set-up of businesses in the borough. The recent pandemic has had an adverse effect on some of the participants’ start-up plans and as a result, the programme has now been extended to 30 September 2021.

A new tailored virtual Business Challenge Programme has also been developed by Young Enterprise for primary six pupils which will include business volunteer videos, virtual presentations as well as challenges and competitions. The programme is anticipated to reach a minimum of 400 pupils and will run from January to June 2021.
 
Two Access Enterprise Programmes are also being delivered to post-primary age pupils across the Borough. This accredited enterprise programme will target young people aged 13-18 through youth settings, to explore self-employment through a mixture of theory and practical application, including taking a product to market.

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Jim Montgomery said, “It is extremely important that the Council focuses heavily on job creation and start-ups in our Borough after the challenging year we have had. I am delighted to see a great emphasis in this area and hope that these programmes can give our economy a boost by encouraging entrepreneurs to take the next step in turning their business ideas and plans into a reality. The younger generation will shape the future of our local economy so it is exciting to see these plans to support up and coming young business owners of our Borough.”
 
For further details on the various business programmes available from Council, visit antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/business