More than €800,000 of grant aid has been administered by Avondhu Blackwater Partnership in recent years to support local businesses and over 50 new jobs created and secured through increased business competitiveness. ABP plans to highlight those achievements when they attend next week’s Cork Innovates Open Day.

The event, which will be held at Cork City Hall, is Cork’s leading showcase for entrepreneurs and the business community and Cork’s LEADER companies will be attending to promote their efforts in the SME sector.         

Avondhu Blackwater Partnership have supported hundreds of businesses in North Cork over the years through training courses, business support and grant aid. As part of a wider effort to underpin the efforts of local businesses, they have focused on increasing competencies in marketing, sales and business management; all areas they feel can make the difference in helping companies to compete.

ABP chairman Sean Hegarty said this week: “The local development ethos is about community animation, helping communities to help themselves through a range of supports and the provision of what resources are needed for a particular project.

“Our business supports follow similar lines; it may be one to one business mentoring, assistance with business plans, the provision of training courses or funding for specific business projects. We have a range of options that entrepreneurs have availed of and next week, we hope to showcase this at Cork Innovates Open Day”.