Free event for tech start-ups in Dublin: 19 State bodies to offer advice

9 Sep 2013

Tara Buckley, director-general, RGData; Senator Feargal Quinn, retail guru and founder of the Superquinn supermarket chain; and John Perry, TD, the Minister for Small Business, at the launch of Taking Care of Business. Image by Jason Clarke Photography

Mark the date start-ups and aspiring tech entrepreneurs! On 22 October there will be a free half-day seminar in Dublin Castle where 19 State offices and agencies – think Enterprise Ireland, the EPA, the CRO, the Patents Office, and the Data Protection Commissioner – will share advice on areas such as regulatory requirements when starting a new venture, plus funding that’s available.

The Taking Care of Business event, which the Irish Government has dubbed a ‘one-stop-shop’ will be geared towards start-ups, SMEs, those who already own or manage a small business, or people who are contemplating become a technology entrepreneur.

Also on hand at the event will be staff from county and city enterprise boards, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Health and Safety Authority, Microfinance Ireland and Solvit. The latter is a problem-solving network for EU citizens and businesses.

This morning, John Perry, TD, the Minister for Small Business, launched the event along with former supermarket mogul and retail guru Feargal Quinn, who is also author of the retail book Crowning the Customer and a senator in the Irish Seanad (Senate); and Tara Buckley, director-general, RGData, which is one of the event’s supporters.

Taking care of new start-ups: funding advice and more

There will be two separate strands at the event:

  • Firstly, there will be presentations from State bodies;
  • Then, there will also be information stands manned by staff from these bodies.

According to the Irish Government, the presentations will focus on key regulatory requirements and assistance available to help entrepreneurs develop their businesses.

The website for the event is now live, so people can learn more about the State bodies/agencies that are taking part.

The Small Firms Association, Chambers Ireland, ISME, RGData, ACCA and the Hardware Association of Ireland are supporting the event, which will run in the Printworks Conference Centre in Dublin Castle on Thursday, 22 October.

Carmel Doyle was a long-time reporter with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com