A chance to grow your business with Energy Connections NI

Any business located in the SEED area and from any sector is welcome to attend the free event which takes place at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre, Oxford Island at 10am on March 31. This project is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.

The event will feature specialist speakers from BS Holdings Ltd, one of the companies investing in this area and looking for support from the local supply chain, who will outline their current activities and future plans, including potential opportunities in the biomass industry for local suppliers, and Ricardo AEA, a specialist energy agency.

Amanda Smyth from Newry & Mourne council, which co-ordinates the programme on behalf of the SEED Councils, said that SMEs can benefit from taking part in the Energy Connections programme, and from attending the event next week.

“Working with Invest NI we have identified biomass energy as one of the growth economic areas within the renewable energy sector and the Energy Connections NI programme will assist local SMEs to share this economic opportunity. Businesses from any sector can participate in the programme, from all sectors and of any size. Hearing directly from businesses in the sector can be a real benefit.”

So far more than 70 businesses have signed up for the Energy Connections Programme and they have been assisted in drawing down support to develop a collaborative network, management plans for their company and funding for attendance at tradeshows.

The event is open to SMEs located in Ards, Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Newry & Mourne and Down council areas.

To register for this event or for more information on the Energy Connections programme go to www.energyconnectionsni.com