How Ireland has benefited from the EU• Almost €76 billion received since

joining the EU in 1973.

• Over €57 billion has been paid in support for agricultural programmes.

• The next largest area of funding came from Structural and Cohesion Funding (over €10.7 billion).

• The European Social Fund contributed almost €6.6 billion towards education and training, social inclusion and supports for vulnerable sectors of our society. Recently, a large emphasis has been placed on up-skilling our workforce.

• By the end of 2017, Ireland had secured funding of €424 million in Horizon 2020 funding.

For the 2014-2020 Budget, the majority of Irish funding will come through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and will be spent on areas such as direct income and market support to the agricultural sector.

Ireland will continue to receive significant funding under the Structural Fund. As in recent years, this funding will focus on research, technology and innovation, contributing to energy efficiency, education and training, and job creation measures.

Additional funding opportunities arise under the Horizon 2020, Erasmus+, Connecting Europe and COSME EU level programmes, which cover research, education, infrastructure networks, SME competitiveness and a number of other smaller initiatives.

This information leaflet provides an insight into some of the ways that the EU has recently supported this county.

Cora Systems Team - Carrick-on-Shannon

Dear Leitrim resident,

Over the past 45 years, Ireland’s membership of the European Union has

had a hugely positive impact on many aspects of our lives: from unlimited

access to the world’s largest consumer market to gaining a stronger voice

at international level, from using a common currency to addressing gender

inequalities and from supporting a greener society to helping reconcile

communities along the Border Region.Along the way, communities, towns, businesses, students, researchers,

farmers, and local and national organisations in each of Ireland’s 26 counties

have benefited from EU financing. This publication zooms in on Leitrim and

looks at how the EU has invested in your county. However, it is important

to remember that EU financial transfers tell a fraction of the story. The true

rewards of EU membership cannot be measured in monetary terms: peace,

prosperity, political stability, and the freedom to live, work, study and travel

anywhere in the Union.

Yours faithfully

Gerry KielyHead of European Commission Representation in IrelandFor further information, you can find our contact

details on the back page of this publication.

Spring 2018

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever, with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020). It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the laboratory to the market.

Many high-tech companies based in Letirim have availed of EU support and here are some recent developments:

CORA SYSTEMS

Cora Systems is a software company employing over 25 people, based in Carrick-on-Shannon.

Established in 1999 with support from Enterprise Ireland, Cora Systems develop and market ProjectVision, a SaaS cloud-based Portfolio, Project and Performance Management system to public and private sector clients both in Ireland and the UK. Philip Martin, CEO and founder of Cora Systems, is an Enterprise Champion and is assisting Enterprise Ireland and other stakeholders with the €40 million Competitive Regional Jobs Fund in the Northwest region.

Cora was short-listed for Technology Ireland’s Awards in 2017, which is supported by Enterprise Ireland.

ARCHWAY PRODUCTS

Archway Products in Carrick-on-Shannon are designers and manufacturers of

Archway - Carrick-on-Shannon

Horizon 2020Archway received funding for a Key Manager to assist productivity and changes to output. The Roadmaster Range machines repair potholes, seal cracked road areas and builds up broken road edges, amongst other functions. The company recently took part in the Enterprise Ireland Research and Development Awareness Initiative and are currently working with consultants Industry Research and Development Group to investigate further technical developments as part of an ongoing project.

VISTAMED

EU Regional Development Policies are stimulating job creation in all areas of Ireland, including the west. Many high-tech companies based in Letirim have availed of EU support, which is channelled through government organisations such as Enterprise Ireland. Here are some recent developments:

On 1 August 2017, VistaMed opened its new €9m expansion of its catheter manufacturing facility in Carrick-on-Shannon. The expansion of the existing facility added 45,000 sq.ft., this includes four additional ISO Class 7 clean rooms for contract manufacturing of catheter-based minimally invasive devices.

“This latest expansion is in response to the strong demand that VistaMed is experiencing for its products and services in the international minimally invasive medical device sector, specifically focused on catheter-based technologies”, said Patrick Mulholland, Managing Director of VistaMed.

€1.8M FUNDING FOR LEITRIM COUNTY COUNCIL

Approximately €1.8m worth of funding under the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme has been offered to Leitrim County Council. The funding will be used to support a number of local projects that will promote positive relations between people from different communities and backgrounds. Leitrim County Council will be responsible for the delivery of a ‘PEACE Action Plan’ focused on three key areas: ‘Children & Young People’, ‘Shared Spaces and Services’ and ‘Building Positive Relations’. The support will be used to deliver local community

Cross-Border Funding

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Peace IV Partnership - Leitrim

specialised state of the art road repair machinery. With the development of their Roadmaster products range, they are the market leaders in road repair and maintenance machinery and Spray Injection Patching technology. Previous recipients of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (to help competitiveness and employment in disadvantaged areas),

initiatives for children and young people involving sports, arts, culture and language. It will also help make public space in towns and villages more inclusive.

EU policy on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) aims to improve the approach to entrepreneurship in Europe, by providing a comprehensive SME policy for EU countries, including Ireland. Supported by EU funding passed directly to the Irish government, this is then implemented at local and national level.

As part of this drive to encourage entrepreneurship in Ireland, a network of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) was established to help local businesses. Working with Enterprise Ireland and the Enterprise Europe Network, the LEOs aim to support entrepreneurship and innovation amongst SMEs, to drive new firm creations, expansion and employment opportunities, as well as to assist in overcoming operational barriers.

The 31 LEOs, located in Local Authorities nationwide, have hands-on teams of experts to provide business advice and information. Each LEO is a gateway to a wide range of government and non-government supports that are available to help local businesses develop. A range of grant supports, from feasibility to local development, is also available. Their aim is to stimulate local business and economic growth and they do this through a number of initiatives.

Leitrim is serviced by one LEO, which is based in Carrick-on-Shannon. The LEO launched a Food Strategy in 2017, to create 250 jobs in this sector. A Brexit guide is also available.

The Regional Job Creation Funds were set up to boost job creation by encouraging ‘bottom up’ collaborative projects between private and public organisations e.g. providing incubation space, mentoring entrepreneurs, start-up accelerator programmes, supporting

Supporting Local Business

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industry clusters within and between local and regional areas as well as locally driven initiatives. As part of this initiative, clusters of LEOs were awarded €2m for projects in their areas. Leitrim LEO is part of three projects that received funding:

• ACCELINVEST creates a clear pathway for export focused, investment-ready regional companies to progress from the LEO Network to Enterprise Ireland.

• This initiative provides the opportunity for shared learning, dynamic trade development and knowledge transfer in the creative sector.

• The Graduate Internship for Entrepreneurship Programme. Graduates are connected with full-time, paid

internships centred on a two way skills transfer. Graduates transfer new skills and approaches, employers transfer entrepreneurial learning and experience of running and managing a business.

LEITRIM AND NORTH-WEST REGION AWARDED EUROPEAN ENTREPRENEURIAL REGION 2018

The EU named Ireland’s Northern and Western region as European Entrepreneurial Region 2018, recognising the enormous strides the region has taken to foster entrepreneurship and reverse decades of decline. The award is a huge boost for a region that has developed policies that are transforming the area from adversity to advantage, making it one of the most resilient and ambitious places in Europe.

Launch of the Local Enterprise Office - Leitrim

More than €1.6 billion was paid to rural Ireland in 2016 under a variety of EU agricultural schemes. Currently, Irish farmers receive over €1.2 billion of EU funding per year through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). An additional €2.7 billion in funding over a ten-year period was received through rural development programmes. For the period 2014-2020, the CAP will invest €10.7 billion in Ireland’s farming sector and rural areas, with additional co-financing from the Irish authorities.

Rural Development

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Continued on next page...Leitrim delivers as EU names Ireland’s North West

European Entrepreneurial Region 2018

For further information please contact:

The European Commission Representation in IrelandTel: 01 6341111 Email eu-ie-info-request@ec.europa.eu

www.euireland.ie www.facebook.com/EUIreland www.twitter.com/eurireland

SICAP is the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme. It is funded by the Irish Government with co-funding from the European Social Fund. The aim of SICAP is to reduce poverty, promote social inclusion and to improve the life chances and opportunities of those who are marginalized in society, living in poverty or in unemployment. It does this through a community development approach. Leitrim Development Company manages the programme in Leitrim.

HORTICULTURE WITH ECO-TOURISM COURSE

This is a full-time course in Horticulture with Eco-Tourism, which starts in February 2018 in Lough Allen Centre, Drumshanbo. The course is for unemployed people and is ideally suited to individuals who are considering embarking on a career in horticulture and wish to obtain a recognised qualification. Students will not only learn about plants, vegetables and fruit but will also be taught communications and safe horticulture practice.

Erasmus+ is the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport.It provides funding and support for organisations and individuals to operate projects that encourage European exchange, co-operation and learning. The Erasmus Programme has had a profound impact on the internationalisation of Irish higher education. It led to the creation of international departments in our higher academic institutions charged with managing the programme. Since it began in 1987, approximately 100,000 learners have come to Ireland generating an estimated 500,000 visitors drawn from family and friends.

Ireland will have a total €12.6m to allocate under the student/staff mobilities and strategic partnership actions in 2018 compared to €11.1m in 2017 – an increase of 13%. During the last academic year, there were 3,172 students and 262 staff outgoing participants from Ireland, with a further 7,579 students and 707 staff incoming.

Social Inclusion and Learning

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...continued from previous page

New Horticulture Course launched in Drumshanbo - Co. Leitrim A Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) is a community in which everyone works together to develop a sustainable energy system for the benefit of the community.

This is achieved by aiming to be energy efficient, by using renewable energy where feasible and by adopting smart energy solutions.

Leitrim Sustainable Energy Community is a collaboration of newly formed SECs in the North West region.

HSE Estates North West Sligo SEC is working with North Leitrim SEC and Mohill Community Development Association SEC to deliver a pilot scale Better Energy Community project in Leitrim.

The objective will be to showcase this pilot scale project, to help develop more comprehensive and inclusive community energy projects.

Sustainable Energy

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Under CAP, County Leitrim received over €34.7m in 2016, giving an average payment of €9,156 per recipient. Direct Payments of approx €20.3m were made to farmers, with an average amount of €5,716 per recipient.

Rural areas also receive other supports

the county. Leitrim was allocated almost €6m for the 2014-2020 programme.

Funding approval is underway for a number of projects and will begin in early 2018.

through the Rural Development Programme as well as investment in towns and villages.

The Leader programme continues to support rural communities, including tourism projects. Leitrim Development Company, Drumshanbo, implements the programme for