Economic Development Unit

  • What is the Economic Development Unit?
    Galway City Council's Economic Development Unit aims to facilitate and promote economic activity throughout the city.

    The Council recognises the importance of the role that businesses plays in the economy and is committed to the delivery of key activities that assist businesses on a daily basis. The Economic Development Unit which is an initiative of the Community & Enterprise Department:

    • Is responsible for the economic development role of Galway City Council in promoting Galway City as a place to invest, work and do business.
    • Seeks to create the right conditions for strong economic activity across the city and to increase Galway's global competitiveness by collaborating with a range of key agencies in both the public and private sectors.
    • Provides information on and co-ordinates access to a range of Galway City Council services that are required for setting up or growing a business, from small to large-scale businesses.

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    What are the objectives of the Economic Development Unit of Galway City Council?
    Coordination:

    The Economic Development Unit acts as a liaison:

    • For businesses/companies that require Galway City Council support on Planning, Roads/Water and other Infrastructure issues.
    • For the Metropolitan Area Network Scheme (High speed Broadband connectivity for industry and business).
    • With IDA & Enterprise Ireland on specific issues relating to Galway City.

    The Economic Development Unit works on coordinating data and information on population, services and facilities in Galway City, which ensure that companies and agencies that require census and other demographic figures have up to date and accurate information.

    City Initiatives:

    The Economic Development Unit assist with developing specific initiatives to promote Galway City as a place to invest, work and do business.

    Initiatives to date include:

    Enterprise Centres:

    Galway City Council Economic Development Unit manages two Enterprise Centres on behalf of Galway City Council - Sandy Road Enterprise Centre and Westside Enterprise Centre.

    Galway City Council manages the following aspects of the Enterprise Centres:

    • Advertising, rental and lease/license agreement of the units.
    • Rent & bad debt collection relating to the units.
    • All maintenance issues regarding the units.
    • All day-to-day issues associated with being a commercial landlord.

    The Economic Development Unit also sits on the board of the Enterprise Centres:

    • Fionntarlann Teo (Westside Enterprise Centre)
    • Ballybane Enterprise Centre

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    Does Galway City Council provide businesses with grants?
    No, Local Enterprise Office (LEO) provides all business support grants. Contact information below.

    Telephone: 091 509090

    Email: info@leo.galwaycoco.ie

    Address: Prospect Hill, Galway

    Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:00pm

    Since the establishment of the Local Enterprise Office (LEO), Galway City Council has had a more direct role in supporting economic development and enterprise for new and established businesses at local level within the city. The LEO provides a range of business information, advice, training and supports to assist enterprises to consolidate and grow. The LEO also acts as a gateway to Enterprise Ireland, a support for manufacturing and internationally traded business companies that have the capacity to grow quickly.

    Galway City Council and its Local Enterprise Office work in collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders to actively promote and encourage economic development and enterprise development in the city. The Council aims to facilitate economic development and employment opportunities by providing or supporting the delivery of infrastructure and implementing urban economic initiatives. It also facilitates economic development by the zoning of appropriate lands for employment and by ensuring that planning policy and objectives are supportive of business and enterprise.

    For further information please visit https://www.localenterprise.ie/Galway/ to find out more.
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    What type of support can the Galway City Council offer to businesses?
    Galway City Council can provide advice on planning, environmental issues, property rates, water connections, locations and access. The following websites may also be of interest:

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    If I have a business, do I need to get any particular licence from the Galway City Council?
    No, not specifically. However, there are planning & waste management permissions that may be required. Please get in touch to find out more by emailing candc@galwaycity.ie.
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    Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC)

    The Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) extends along the western seaboard of Ireland and includes ten local authority regions from Kerry to Donegal. The region is viewed as having significant potential for future economic growth and creating balanced regional development to complement the eastern seaboard economic corridor. The overarching objective of the AEC initiative is to maximise the infrastructure, talent, and enterprise assets along the western seaboard, and to combine the economic hubs, clusters, and catchments of the area to attract investment, improve competitiveness, support job creation and contribute to an improved quality of life for the people who live there. The consolidation of the AEC will be further realised through the advancement of key infrastructural projects under Project 2040.  The Department of Rural and Community Development is the department that is helping to progress the project and develop a clearly articulated roadmap for delivery of the AEC objectives. The Department of Rural and Community Development is the department that is helping to progress the project and develop a clearly articulated roadmap for delivery of the AEC objectives.

    Officers are based in each of the ten AEC local authorities. The officers are the main point of contact for the AEC project. The AEC officer for Galway City Council is Caitriona Morgan and she can be contacted on caitriona.morgan@galwaycity.ie. For further information please visit https://www.atlanticeconomiccorridor.ie/.

    Connected Hubs

    ConnectedHubs.ie is your one-stop-shop for hubs throughout Ireland. Launched in May 2021, it is designed to simplify and standardise the process of sourcing and booking spaces, desks, offices and events in hubs for a day, a week, a month, a year or longer. ConnectedHubs.ie is operated by The National Hub Network, a Government of Ireland initiative that provides a vehicle for individual hubs to come together under a shared identity to maximise the economic opportunity of remote working. The National Hub Network has the support of Government, remote working advocacy groups and industry representatives. In this way, ConnectedHubs.ie also encompasses a range of key features that deliver significant benefits to member hubs, hub clients, employers, local communities and the wider economy.

    For existing or potential hub clients, including employers, these benefits include:

    • An easy-to-use booking and payment system that is consistent across all hubs throughout the network.
    • Development of a peer-to-peer hub community and the expansion of their professional network, creating new opportunities.
    • Sharing of innovation, experience, and best-practices within the community.
    • Supporting collaborative projects in the Network to drive economies of scale.
    • Supporting collective engagement between Connected Hubs and large-scale employers.

    For member hubs and their communities, these benefits include:

    • A shared Connected Hubs brand identity for all member hubs.
    • Centralised Connected Hubs media and promotional campaigns.
    • Access to the ConnectedHubs.ie suite of booking, hub management and e-commerce applications.
    • Developing a shared quality standard for hubs in the Network.
    • Developing a ‘shared voice’ for Connected Hubs.
    • Supporting collective engagement between Connected Hubs and Government agencies.
    • Helping to identify the benefits Connected Hubs deliver for their local communities and the wider economy.
    • Developing a dataset to inform future investment decisions in remote working facilities.

    For further information or to find a Connected Hub in Galway city please visit https://connectedhubs.ie/hubs/search

    Smart Galway

    Smart Cities’ focus is very much on the use of digital technologies for better resource use and less emissions. It means smarter urban transport networks, upgraded water supply and waste disposal facilities and more efficient ways to light and heat buildings. It also means a more interactive and responsive city administration, safer public spaces and meeting the needs of an ageing population. Galway is one of eight Irish ‘Smart Cities’ in an ‘All-Ireland’ programme https://smartcitiesireland.org/about/ 

    The Smart Galway programme operates across key focus areas:

    • Provide Better Services - Develop, drive, and facilitate public services which are better, easier, more efficient, and accessible for citizens.
    • Promote Innovative Solutions - Provide new, innovative, and better solutions to existing and future challenges which impact citizens, businesses, and visitors.
    • Improve Economic Activity - Support economic development by helping to create an ecosystem that attracts and provides opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses, and communicates this to the wider world.
    • Increase Collaboration and Engagement - Create effective internal and external collaborations and partnerships with local authorities, other public sector organisations, academia, external agencies, businesses, citizens, and international partners.

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