Five new entrepreneurs and start-ups have each received £10,000 from Innovate UK, the government’s innovation agency, as part of the first Catalyst North West Co-Founders programme.
The funding will help the winning
teams pursue their technology, engineering and science ideas and contribute to
the thriving innovation ecosystem growing in the North West region.
Although based at Catalyst Innovation
Centre at Fort George in Derry, the Co-Founders cohort completed a part-time
online programme one night a week for 16 weeks.
The five ideas which have secured
funding include technology for medical student training, an innovative
development for cat’s eyes on the road, a digital platform for golf caddies, a
social fintech solution and a digital platform for exercise and wellbeing.
Catalyst at Fort George opened in 2014
and is fully occupied by 32 companies and 250 people working in the innovation
and knowledge economy.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-10-19 13:49:542020-10-19 13:49:54£50K funding boost for local start-ups at North West Co-Founders programme
Derry and Strabane’s fantastic
eateries and artisan producers are taking centre stage with the unveiling of
the LegenDerry food and drink brand.
The brand, launched by the local Food
and Drink Network and supported by the Council, brings together our finest food-focused
talent and puts the City and District firmly on the foodie map for locals and
visitors alike.
Our innovative, authentic producers, growers, chefs, brewers and restaurateurs are celebrated on the new LegenDerry food website and in marketing material, including this video.
Derry City and Strabane District Council, alongside funding partners
North West Regional College and Ulster University, held the world’s first
Virtual Learning City Festival on Wednesday and Thursday.
Over 50 online events took place during the two-day programme in the
form of information sessions, live presentations, short films and live chats
exploring key areas such as Jobs & Skills, Health & Well-Being,
Arts& Culture and Technology & Science.
In total, there were 40,000 engagement views on Facebook and other
social media platforms during the two days.
In addition, there was over 9,500 visitors to the bespoke
Learning Festival website, including views on
Youtube coming largely from the UK and Ireland, but also due to
the nature event and associated global conference which launched the
festival, recorded traffic also came from Europe, Ukraine and Japan and
Brazil.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Brian Tierney joined
speakers from Colombia, Seoul, Bangkok, Cork, Hamburg, USA and Derry to open
the festival, and he said he was delighted to see so many had enjoyed the
programme on offer.
“Achieving the UNESCO Learning City status for the Derry and
Strabane region was an important moment for our district, it was brilliant
to see it celebrated in virtual format.
“The wide variety of topics covered meant that there was something
to attract everyone’s attention, and it really captured the essence of
what learning is about – picking up new skills and information.
“Thanks to our Council team, to North West Regional College and
Ulster University, and to all those who delivered workshops and interactive
sessions across the two days without this collaboration we could not have
run a virtual event.”
Malachy Ó Néill, Provost at Ulster University’s Magee campus said:
“Ulster University has been privileged to collaborate once again with our
neighbours Derry City and Strabane District Council and North West Regional
College to acquire UNSECO Learning City status for our city and to host the inaugural
Virtual Learning Festival. Well done and thank you to all involved.
“It has been inspirational to see and hear so many people come
together to learn. As our thoughts turn to enabling the cultural and tourism
sectors in the North West post COVID-19, we look forward to building on this
initiative in the future for the good of the people of the city and
region.”
Leo Murphy, Principal and Chief Executive of North West Regional College
said: “This was a fantastic festival and all at NWRC were delighted to be
part of such an innovative event in this new era of learning through a virtual
format.
“We continue to support career ambitions across the region and look
forward to continued collaboration with the partners of the festival in the
future.”
Padraig Canavan, Chair Learning City said: “It was an honour for us
to attract so many distinguished speakers from around the globe to our opening
seminar.
“With ‘Lockdown Learning’ as the theme we heard about individual,
community and nationwide learning initiatives like ‘Classrooms without Walls’
and the new libraries – ‘Smart Learning Civic Centres’. A great first for
Learning Cities and for Derry and Strabane.”
If you missed the festival over the last few days you can watch all of
the LIVE Zoom recordings and premiered events at the Learning Hub.
Learning City’s is delighted that this Learning hub can be now used
and shared. It is a valuable resource for people of all ages to enjoy at
any time, over and over again available at https://www.derrystrabane.com/LearningFest.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-10-19 13:38:292020-10-28 15:30:56UNESCO Celebrates the first Learning City Virtual Festival in Derry and Strabane
A leading Derry/Londonderry-based financial services firm has enjoyed its best quarter to date, despite the global COVID-19 crisis.
Executive Director and Head of FinTrU North West, Greg McCann
Since the
coronavirus lockdown, FinTrU has acquired two major new clients, and made 75
new hires for its bases in the North West and Belfast.
The award-winning
company’s Financial Services Academies have also continued virtually, with the
latest cohort having been trained remotely and now working in a variety of
roles.
Executive
Director and Head of FinTrU North West, Greg McCann, said the firm was looking
forward to a “very healthy pipeline of new business opportunities”, and recommended
the North West as an excellent location for other investors.
In
mid-March, FinTrU took swift action and decided all 450 employees, including
more than 120 staff in the Derry offices, should switch to remote working
during the Covid crisis.
“It was a
very busy few weeks getting everyone set up at home and making sure they had
the right equipment, but the connectivity has been great in the North West, and
we’re fortunate to work in a sector that has been quite robust during this
period,” said Mr McCann.
“We’ve
continued to grow, and keep doing what we do best. We haven’t had to avail of any
government aid or furlough any staff.”
FinTrU was
founded in 2013 and opened its North West site two years ago, attracted by the
excellent pool of talent in the region, including graduates from local
institutions such as Ulster University’s Magee campus and the Letterkenny
Institute of Technology.
It plans
to have 305 staff in the city over five years, and is ahead of track to meet
this target. Hiring has also continued during the pandemic, with FinTrU working
hard to ensure that new recruits working from home feel welcome, through
virtual coffee breaks, ‘buddying up’ with existing employees along with other
online internal networking activities.
“We aim
to have 600 people working at FinTrU in Northern Ireland by the end of this
year. We’re well on schedule, and Covid-19 hasn’t changed that,” Mr McCann
added.
The
Limavady native also praised the North West as a great place to invest.
“Every
academy we’ve run, we’ve been oversubscribed and we’ve always been able to
select the right people because there are a lot of high quality graduates from
the local universities and colleges,” he added.
“We’ve
had no technical issues during Covid-19; the connectivity has been good. I
think after lockdown, people will be thinking more than ever about quality of
life – which is excellent here, with beaches and beautiful scenery on our
doorstep.
“This
access to the outdoors in the North West has also been great for staff
wellbeing during the pandemic – it’s something you just don’t get in more
built-up cities.”
As well
as a societal shift towards more home working, Mr McCann said the City and
District may benefit from businesses deciding to ‘reshore’ outsourced functions
back to Northern Ireland.
“We’re
aware that clients have had issues in some parts of the world that haven’t
responded as well to Covid,” he added.
“We’ve had
lots of fantastic feedback from clients; we’ve had no drop off of our service
to them, we’ve been able to respond rapidly, with great connectivity. We’re
hoping to see the benefit of that going forward.”
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-10-19 13:24:062020-10-28 15:32:49FinTrU continues to experience growth during lockdown period
The head of Northern Ireland’s largest IT company has paid tribute to hundreds of staff in the North West for helping ensure the firm’s continued success during the COVID-19 crisis.
Allstate NI, Managing Director: John Healy
Allstate NI was established in 1998 to provide high quality software development services and business solutions in support of its US-based parent company, the Allstate Corporation.
It employs 900
people in its Derry and Strabane offices, and a further 1500 staff in Belfast,
and is one of a number of North West firms who have managed to thrive despite
the challenges posed by the crisis.
The firm took the decision to move all 2400 staff to virtual working in mid-March. Since then, Allstate has managed to maintain productivity levels and a steady order book – an achievement Managing Director John Healy attributes to the talent, skills and connectivity found in the North West, and Northern Ireland in general.
“I’m hugely proud
of how the workforce has responded to this,” Mr Healy said. “As I talk to the
leaders back in the US, they are incredibly happy with what we’ve managed to
achieve here.”
“We already
have a culture within the business of people working from home; we have the
infrastructure to allow that to happen, and we periodically test it. But
whenever you’re doing it for real, to watch how people respond, now for over 11
weeks, it’s just been amazing.”
Staff from
the Derry and Strabane sites were “incredibly busy” as Covid-19 unfolded, with
part of Allstate’s technology helpdesk functionality run in these locations.
“During the
initial weeks of the crisis, those teams in the North West helped our
colleagues right around the globe to move quickly and safely to working from
home,” said Mr Healy.
“The
volumes have now come back down to normal levels, but definitely they were key
to the success of the corporation as a whole as we all move to new ways of
working.”
As a major
centre for innovative software development, covering the full lifecycle from
design to maintenance and support, the local wealth of talent and experience
was a huge draw for Allstate.
Asked what
message he would give to other investors who are considering the North West as
a location, Mr Healy said: “The initial set-up of Allstate in the North West
was around getting access to a deep talent pool, not just in Derry and Strabane,
but also from hinterland such as Donegal.
“What we’ve
managed to achieve over the years that we’ve operated out of the North West
shows that decision was absolutely spot on. These are really talented
individuals who are making a great contribution to the success of all of our
businesses.
“And the innovation,
the resilience, the ingenuity of the people who are making it work, from home,
in recent weeks has been great.”
Mr Healy
predicted longer term changes to working practices for many businesses,
including Allstate NI.
“We’ll
still have the office and we’ll still have people who are calling in to work
with colleagues and interact with others, but I think it will definitely change
our perception around how much we need to be in the office and how that space
is used,” he said.
“Whenever
you’re working in a hi-tech environment like ours, as long as you’ve got your
laptop and a connection to the internet, you’re able to connect onto the Allstate
infrastructure and do your job from wherever you find yourself.”
The
broadband infrastructure in employees’ homes has been holding up “incredibly
well”, Mr Healy added.
“We’ve had
very few issues with connectivity for our employees when they’ve been working
from home.
“It’s
fantastic that we can have everybody at home, safe and secure, at a time of
crisis.”
The firm have
even recently completed another successful recruitment drive for Service Desk
Analysts in the North West – initially working from home but based out of their
Derry and Strabane offices when it is safe to return.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/8eWQaAOJ_400x400.jpg400400Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-10-19 13:17:052020-10-28 15:36:20Allstate NI’s Continued North West success
The head of Allstate NI has paid tribute to hundreds of staff in the North West for helping ensure the firm’s continued success during the Covid-19 crisis.
The business, which is now Northern Ireland’s largest IT firm, was established in 1998 to provide high quality software development services and business solutions in support of its US-based parent company, the Allstate Corporation. It employs 900 people in its Derry and Strabane offices, and a further 1500 staff in Belfast. Allstate took the decision to move all 2400 staff to virtual working in mid-March, as the global pandemic loomed. Since then, the company said it has managed to maintain productivity levels and a steady order book – an achievement managing director John Healy attributes to the talent, skills and connectivity found in the North West, and Northern Ireland in general.
“I’m hugely proud of how the workforce has responded to this. We’ve managed to get all our resources home, and maintained high levels of productivity. As I talk to the leaders back in the US, they are incredibly happy with what we’ve managed to achieve here,” the Derry native said. “We already have a culture within the business of people working from home; we have the infrastructure to allow that to happen, and we periodically test it. But whenever you’re doing it for real, to watch how people respond, now for over 11 weeks, it’s just been amazing.” Staff from the Derry and Strabane sites were “incredibly busy” as Covid-19 unfolded, with part of Allstate’s technology helpdesk functionality run in these locations. “During the initial weeks of the crisis, those teams in the North West helped our colleagues right around the globe to move quickly and safely to working from home,” added Mr Healy. “The volumes have now come back down to normal levels, but definitely they were key to the success of the corporation as a whole as we all move to new ways of working.”
As a major centre for innovative software development, covering the full lifecycle from design to maintenance and support, the local wealth of talent and experience was a huge draw for Allstate. Asked what message he would give to other investors who are considering the North West as a location, Mr Healy said: “The initial set-up of Allstate in the North West was around getting access to a deep talent pool, not just in Derry and Strabane, but also from hinterland such as Donegal. “What we’ve managed to achieve over the years that we’ve operated out of the North West shows that decision was absolutely spot on. These are really talented individuals who are making a great contribution to the success of all of our businesses. “And the innovation, the resilience, the ingenuity of the people who are making it work, from home, in recent weeks has been great.”
Mr Healy predicted longer term changes to working practices for many businesses, including Allstate NI. “We’ll still have the office and we’ll still have people who are calling in to work with colleagues and interact with others, but I think it will definitely change our perception around how much we need to be in the office and how that space is used,” he said. “Whenever you’re working in a hi-tech environment like ours, as long as you’ve got your laptop and a connection to the internet, you’re able to connect onto the Allstate infrastructure and do your job from wherever you find yourself.” The broadband infrastructure in employees’ homes has been holding up “incredibly well”, Mr Healy added. “We’ve had very few issues with connectivity for our employees when they’ve been working from home. “It’s fantastic that we can have everybody at home, safe and secure, at a time of crisis.”
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Brian Tierney, praised Allstate NI’s teams in Derry and Strabane for their resilience and innovation during the Covid 19 crisis. “The global outbreak of Covid 19 created unprecedented challenges to Allstate and how they provide their software solutions and services,” he noted. “The team in Derry and Strabane displayed resilience and innovation in quickly moving to remote working and a virtual office space to ensure their client’s services continued as normal. “Allstate are a shining example to other prospective investors of the talent pool that exists in this region who can meet the needs of global companies and rise to the challenges posed during periods of uncertainty.”
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/allstate_toe-1.jpg200308Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-07-07 10:34:052020-07-07 10:34:07Allstate NI for praised for resilience during COVID-19
A new medical training school in Londonderry has been given the go-ahead.
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill confirmed the graduate medical school at Ulster University’s Magee campus will open in September 2021.
The only medical school in Northern Ireland at present is at Queen’s University in Belfast.
The deputy first minister said the school will be “instrumental in the regeneration of the region”.
“This is a hugely important investment decision for the north west, and it adds to the executive’s recent announcement on the Derry and Strabane city deal and inclusive future fund,” she said.
Ms O’Neill said the first 70 students would start their training in the north west in 2021.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said the announcement was “a very welcome piece of positive news”.
“The Covid-19 pandemic brought the chronic medical staffing gaps in our health service into sharp focus, as the enlisting of retired doctors and early graduation of final year medical students showed,” the BMA’s NI chair Dr Tom Black said.
He added: “This new school will mean more medical students graduating annually in Northern Ireland and then staying on, not only to treat our growing and aging population but to support our health service should such a pandemic like this ever happen again.”
Plans for a medical school in Derry were first mooted in the mid-2000s, and submitted to the General Medical Council in 2016.
In May 2019, the UK government announced £100m for the Derry and Strabane city deal.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood welcomed the announcement from the deputy first minister but said further detail is needed.
“We need a guarantee from the executive and from Ulster University that the first students will enrol starting in September 2021 and we need to see a plan for university expansion beyond that.
“The medical school is the first step, not the end product,” the Foyle MP said.
Foyle Sinn Féin MLA Karen Mullan said the school’s go ahead is “a major boost for Ulster University and for Derry” while DUP MLA Gary Middleton tweeted that “we must now work towards students being accepted from 2021”.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/UU-Corp-logo.jpg12001811Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-05-20 12:21:352020-05-20 12:21:37Ulster University Magee medical school to open in Londonderry in 2021
Hypixel Studios, the videogame developer behind upcoming title Hytale, will establish its headquarters in Derry~Londonderry as part of its acquisition by US-based developer and publisher Riot Games.
Hypixel Studios was established in 2018 as a spin-off of Hypixel Inc, the creators of one of the world’s most popular independent game servers, with a leadership team including Derry~Londonderry natives Aaron ‘Noxy’ Donaghey and Sean McCafferty. The studio has traditionally operated entirely remotely, with a geographically-dispersed team of over 40 developers. In December 2018, the company announced its debut title, Hytale, a community-powered game that allows players to go on adventures in a block-based fantasy world, express their creativity through extensive built-in customisation tools, and compete in quick and accessible online minigames.
Artwork from Hytale, developed by Hypixel Studios.
Hytale has received a monumental reception from the gaming community. It has amassed over 2.5 million sign-ups for its forthcoming beta testing program, and its debut trailer has received millions of views on YouTube. It was nominated for ‘Most Anticipated Game’ at the 2019 Golden Joystick Awards. In November 2019, Hypixel Studios announced that it is planning for Hytale to be playable by everyone in 2021.
Hypixel Studios today announced its acquisition by Riot Games, the developer and publisher best known for League of Legends. Hypixel Studios will continue to operate as an independent studio while leveraging Riot’s expertise, technology and resources to support the development of Hytale, including the establishment of the company’s first physical office in Derry~Londonderry.
“When the question of where to set up came into the conversation there was no doubt in my mind that we should set up in Derry~Londonderry,” said Hypixel Studios Chief Executive Officer Aaron ‘Noxy’ Donaghey. “Many members of our team have enjoyed visiting the city over the years, and as a base to develop many of our team’s functions, it has both the talent pool and – more importantly – the spark of hunger necessary to ignite creativity.”
“As part of our acquisition, we had the opportunity to pick almost anywhere in the world, but one of my favourite sayings is ‘when the roots are deep, you need not fear the wind’ – and Hypixel’s roots in Derry and Northern Ireland are deep,” Donaghey said. “It may seem strange to be announcing such a move in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, but games and home entertainment are now more important than ever and we have a community of millions to be looking after. Our company HQ will be the nexus for these ongoing efforts.”
The present COVID-19 crisis means that an opening date for the new office cannot currently be set. When it opens, the Hypixel Studios office will act as a base for back-office functions and quality assurance throughout the development process. Hypixel Studios is initially hiring 20 highly skilled new positions in these areas, all based in Derry~Londonderry. The company anticipates further growth as development of Hytale continues and the needs of the project evolve.
“Our offices in Derry will be the backbone that allows our remote development team to work effectively,” said Hypixel Studios Chief Operating Officer Sean McCafferty. “There, we will not only have our back-office services such as finance, recruitment and general operations, but as we move through the year we will be ramping up areas such as quality assurance while providing a space for our remote workers to congregate a few times a year.”
“I’ve been in game development for 20 years at this stage, always working around the north west and Derry~Londonderry specifically,” McCafferty said. “It has been my greatest wish to bring game development, wholesale, to the place in which I grew up. Having worked in the space for this length of time and to be finally in a position to help bring a game studio to ‘the town’ is something incredibly special to me – a life-long wish that is finally coming true.”
Hypixel Studios’ office in Northern Ireland is being established with support from Northern Ireland Screen, the national screen agency for Northern Ireland.
Richard Williams, CEO of Northern Ireland Screen, said; “We are absolutely delighted that Hypixel Studios is setting up its latest hugely ambitious games venture in Derry~Londonderry with the support of Riot Games, one of the biggest game publishers in the world. We are in no doubt that this hard won next step for Aaron and Sean is hugely important for the video games sector in Northern Ireland. Hypixel Studios and Riot Games can do for the games sector here what HBO and Game of Thrones did for the TV drama sector.“
In addition, advice has been provided by Derry City and Strabane District Council.
Kevin O’Connor, Head of Business for Derry City and Strabane District Council, said: “Derry City and Strabane District Council have been delighted to coordinate with Hypixel Studios over the last number of months. The selection of the North West is a further endorsement of the City/Region as a key investment location. The availability of a highly skilled talent pool, world-class digital connectivity and unparalleled quality of life have obviously featured heavily in this decision. This is an exciting development for the City providing well-paid jobs in a growing sector of the economy “
For more information on Hypixel Studios and Hytale, visit www.hytale.com
Derry City and Strabane District Council has announced another initiative to help local businesses navigate the current economic difficulties casued by COVID-19.
The 100 Day Consolidation Programme, which is part of Council’s ongoing Business Boost initiative, will provide businesses with their own set of cashflow projections for the next 100 days, that will highlight their short-term cash requirements over this period. This Programme is part-funded by Derry City and Strabane District Council, Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Jobs and Growth [2014 – 2020] Programme.
The programme will be delivered remotely and safely using modern technologies. This will allow business owners to participate fully, irrespective of whether they are working from home or from their normal workplace.There are 12 places available for the programme, and the schedule will involve two remote workshops with a step-by-step guide to building a 100 day cashflow projection model for your business, and engaging with key stakeholders like the bank manager, HMRC, customers, suppliers, utilities suppliers, staff etc.
There will also be two and a half days of bespoke remote mentoring for new Business Boost participants or one day of bespoke remote mentoring for previous/existing Business Boost participants to assist them to apply the key learning points to their own business.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Michaela Boyle said the programme was an excellent opportunity for local businesses to seek guidance at a difficult time.
”I think what we are all looking for at this time is clarity, and that is obviously particularly important for our local business owners.The 100 Day Consolidation Programme will allow them to develop a clear picture of the extent to which they currently have working capital in their business.It will project with accuracy how the cash position of their business is likely to fluctuate over the next three critical months – and what implications that will have for their business in terms of its survival prospects – and, furthermore, businesses can then identify key steps that they can potentially take to free up cash over the next 100 days. Many small businesses owners have found themselves thrust unexpectedly into a tough position, and we want to help them address this difficult situation as best they can to get positive results for all involved.”
“We want to ensure that businesses know what they need to do to optimise their cash position and to then actually take positive steps to make that happen. These businesses are the backbone of our District, and it’s important that they can develop as clear a picture as possible of what the immediate future will look like for them, so they can address and navigate any challenges that may arise.Council’s Business team are working around the clock to provide up-to-date advice, guidance and assistance, and this programme is a great opportunity for our local businesses to seek further direction.”
The Programme will be delivered by highly experienced business consultants who have worked with hundreds of businesses, ranging from micro enterprises to some of the largest companies in Northern Ireland.Eligible businesses must be based in the Derry City and Strabane Council area and employ less than 50 people.
To register, simply contact Jacqui at Full Circle – jacqui@fullcircle.eu.com to express an interest in the programme. The deadline for submission of expressions of interest is Monday 15th April at 12pm.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/UsefulInfo_233x214px-1.jpg214233Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-03-31 10:20:042020-03-31 10:20:05Derry City and Strabane District Council Launches 100 Day Consolidation Programme to assist businesses during Covid-19
Derry City and Strabane District Council has this week launched a range of initiatives designed to support local businesses affected by the challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 emergency. With new regulations that will see the closure of many local businesses coming into force today, Council is encouraging local companies to explore their options in terms of establishing an online presence and adapting to conditions as best they can to continue the delivery of products and services.
As well as a special Business Resilience Programme, a series of remote skills development workshops has been announced to give people the support and information they need. The series will comprise of 8-10 two hour workshops to be delivered remotely via Zoom, which will be open to all members of the business community in the City and District including past and present participants of the Business Boost Programme.
Focus areas include managing stress, gearing up to sell on YouTube, the impact of COVID19 on local business, and good leadership.Companies can also apply for a place on the Business Online Programme, part of the highly successful Business Boost Programme, now open to micro enterprises and SMEs across Derry and Strabane.
The programme will assist local companies in going digital. Keeping in mind the challenges presented by the current restrictions around social distancing in the workplace it’s more important than ever that businesses establish an effective online presence for both staff and customers. This programme will also be delivered remotely and safely, using all modern technologies.
“While I welcome these new restrictions on people’s movements, I appreciate that this will have a serious impact on local companies and their ability to do business,” she stressed.”As a Council we are putting in place as many measures as we can to support local businesses at this very difficult time. This new series of workshops will provide the latest information on digital technology and how businesses can take their products and services online and support staff working from home. I would really encourage businesses to find out more about what help is available.“
“With social distancing being a key factor for everyone – your staff, your customers and your suppliers – it’s vitally important that businesses introduce new ways of working.”These are uncertain times and we want to help businesses adapt in whatever ways they can, and both the workshops and the mentoring opportunities will provide the advice and expertise to help local companies get up and running online as quickly as possible.”
To register, simply contact Jacqui at Full Circle – jacqui@fullcircle.eu.com to express your interest in the workshops. The deadline for submission of expressions of interest is Thursday 9 April @ 12noon.
The Programmes are part-funded by Derry City and Strabane District Council, Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Jobs and Growth [2014 – 2020] Programme.Ends
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CoronaVirus_web_banner.jpg219700Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-03-24 11:54:082020-03-24 11:54:10Derry City and Strabane District Council Continues To Offer Remote COVID-19 Support To Local Businesses
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