Free Programme to Support Returning Emigrants Starting a Business in Ireland

Back for Business, the free programme aimed at supporting returned or soon-to-be returning Irish emigrants to start and develop a business in Ireland is seeking new applicants.

The development programme, which is now in its 8th year, was created to foster and support entrepreneurial activity among emigrants recently returned to Ireland and is funded by the Irish Abroad Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs.

The call for applications for the new cycle is now open and those eligible have until Thursday, January 16th to apply through www.backforbusiness.com. Back for Business 8 will run from February to June 2025, with the Launch Forum and first round table event taking place on February 11th. Up to 50 places will be available on the programme.

Back for Business is for returned Irish emigrants who have lived abroad for at least a year and have returned to Ireland in the last three years, or for emigrants currently living abroad who are planning to return to Ireland in the near future.

Since launching in 2017, Back for Business has helped entrepreneurs who are returned emigrants to significantly grow sales and employment. It also addresses challenges that all early-stage entrepreneurs encounter but also focuses on additional barriers faced by emigrants who have been living away from Ireland.

Those who completed last year’s programme, Back for Business 7, were very positive in their feedback with 100pc saying they would recommend the programme to others and would like to stay in contact with the Back for Business community.

In terms of their overall experience, Back for Business 7 participants rated it 4.6 out of a possible 5, with 97% considering the experience either extremely positive or very positive. A total of 93% felt nearer to achieving their ambitions since participating in Back for Business.

At the start of the last cycle, under half of the group were trading but, over the course of the programme, this had increased to almost three quarters. The combined turnover of the participants was less than €300,00 at the start of the cycle. By the end of the cycle, the combined turnover of the 31 participants who completed the cycle had increased to €1.2 million, while employment numbers increased from 14 to 47 during the six months.

Participants will meet once a month on a peer-supported round table, facilitated by voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs, who have experience of successfully starting and growing a business. Many of them have also lived abroad before returning to Ireland to start their business.

This year’s Lead Entrepreneurs are: serial entrepreneur Hannah Wrixon; Morgan Browne, CEO of Milner Browne and Enterpryze; Paul Duggan of The Gardiner Group; Seamus Reilly, co-founder and formerly of Critical Healthcare; Sinead Doherty, founder and CEO of Fenero; and Thomas Ennis, founder of the Thomas Ennis Group.

Back for Business Lead Entrepreneur Thomas Ennis says:

“I was lucky enough to receive excellent mentoring when I was starting out and it made all the difference. It is great to be in a position to give back and to support those at the start of their entrepreneurial journey.”

Back for Business past participant Aisling McVeigh, founder of the DANU Collective, says:

“The Back for Business programme proved invaluable for me as I transitioned back to Ireland from the Middle East and established DANU Collective. The support and structure it provided were exactly what I needed to navigate this new chapter. The advice and expertise from some of Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs gave me the confidence to tackle obstacles and seize opportunities. Back for Business truly sets you up for success.”

Back for Business has been designed and is being implemented by Fitzsimons Consulting, specialists in areas related to entrepreneurship and growth.

The deadline for completed applications for Back to Business 8 is midnight on Thursday, January 16th, 2025. For more information or to register your interest in receiving an application form, please see www.backforbusiness.com.