The City Council’s Economic Development Unit through the implementation of a series of measures aims to facilitate economic activity in the City. The development of a Business Support Unit is one such initiative being undertaken. The Council recognises the importance of the role that business plays in the economy and is committed to it. The City Council through the delivery of its many key activities assists businesses on a daily basis and is now establishing a Business Support Unit (BSU) that will further enhance this service. The unit which is an is an initiative of the Economic Development Department will provide information on, and co-ordinate access to the range of Dublin City Council services that are required for setting up or growing a business.
Dublin City Council Services
Have Empty Space in Dublin City? or Are You Looking For Space in Dublin City?
Notice to create a Register of Interest of property owners / property users in temporary creative, cultural and craft uses.
In response to a demand for temporary use of space in the city, Dublin City Council has been brokering links between owners of vacant property and individuals/organisations who require space for creative, cultural and craft uses in the short term.
Register Your Interest and Property:
- If you are a property owner and are interested in making vacant space available for temporary creative, cultural and craft uses please contact us. Email your contact details, the property address and preferably a photo of the property, to the Economic Development Unit at edu@dublincity.ie. We will then follow up with you directly
Interested user:
- If you are in the Creative, Cultural and Craft Sectors, looking for space for a temporary use and wish to register your interest please e-mail: artsoffice@dublincity.ie specifying what kind of use you have in mind.
Employment Opportunities for Craftworkers in Dublin
The Lord Mayor’s Commission on Employment successfully joined forces with the Tipperary Institute to secure 20 places for unemployed craftworkers in the Dublin City Council administrative area in an exciting project CESBEM II (Competence Enhancement in Sustainable Building Through European Mobility).
The following are available to download:
€10 million loan fund to promote economic recovery and job creation in the City
Ulster Bank, in conjunction with the Lord Mayor’s office, has today announced that it is partnering with Dublin City Council and Dublin City Enterprise Board to provide a dedicated Business Support Programme for start up businesses to promote economic recovery and job creation in the city. The programme includes a €10 million Dublin City Enterprise Support Fund to support new business start ups, current account and ancillary services, business planning and mentoring support and other aspects of start up assistance.
Under the new programme, businesses can avail of loans up to €30,000 for development. In these cases personal guarantees will not have to be backed by assets and a variable loan rate of 4.1% will apply. Free transactional banking will be provided for start ups and early-stage companies for the first two years. A 12-month subscription to Ulster Bank’s online cash management system, ‘Bankline’ and access to its Start Up Knowledge Centre and popular online resource, www.smallbusinesscan.com will also be included in the package.
The Dublin City Enterprise Board will provide a mentoring programme to assist some of the bank loan applicants who have a business idea or are in the early start up stage, by providing them with temporary expert advisors that will help them identify and overcome obstacles in the development stages.
Lord Mayor Gerry Breen added, “When I entered office back in June, I stated that my goal was to aid and abet job creation. We must give start-ups the tools and support they need to be successful. The programme with Ulster Bank goes straight to the heart of that commitment to Dublin.”
The Business Support Programme is the product of the Lord Mayor’s Commission on Employment (LMCE). Initiated by former Lord Mayor Emer Costello, the Commission on Employment engaged in extensive research and public consultations to come up with innovative and creative ideas for boosting the City’s economy, protecting and creating employment and improving competitiveness. The report by the LMCE, which was presented to Minister Conor Lenihan T.D. on June 15th, recommended a number of initiatives including working with banks and key players to develop a support package for new business start ups in Dublin.
Brian Hunt, Director, Business Banking, Central Dublin, Ulster Bank, said, “We are delighted to partner with the Lord Mayor’s office and Dublin City Council in this valuable new enterprise support initiative and endorse the Lord Mayor’s Commission on Employment series of recommendations. The Business Support Programme will promote job creation in the city and help boost new enterprises that need the right level of support to get them up and running and build successful sustainable businesses.”
Ulster Bank, in association with smallbusinesscan.com, has been running a series of special ‘Start-Up Live’ events over the past two months to provide advice support and networking opportunities country wide.
CEO of Dublin City Enterprise Board, Greg Swift, said, “Our hope for this support package is that it will bring viable start up business plans to life in potential growth areas, such as green business and creative industries. We look forward to offering advice that will focus on priorities, needs and objectives, and solutions that will help start ups secure crucial loan funding.”
For further information on the Business Support Programme please talk to Paul Neary or Niall Moloney Ulster Bank College Green Branch Phone 1800 28 30 96 to arrange a meeting. Email startup@ulsterbank.com
Please click here to download the Application Form
Guide To Enterprise in Dublin City 
A Guide to Starting your BusinessThe unit also provides a referral service to other business support agencies and to this end the Economic Development Department in cooperation with the City Enterprise Board, has launched a ‘Guide To Enterprise in Dublin City’. The Guide is a comprehensive compilation of advice and information, including a directory of services and is accessible online .
Starting a food business
Good food safety and hygiene practices are an essential component of any food business in order to protect the consumers' health. Primary responsibility for food safety rests with the food business operator.
All food business operators must now comply with hygiene of foodstuffs legislation, (Regulation 852/2004/EC). This legislation lays down rules for food business operators on the hygiene of foodstuffs, including temperature control, HACCP, equipment, transport, waste, personal hygiene and training.
Food business operators must register with a competent authority before commencing trade. Failure to do so is an offence. The competent authority will depend on the nature of the business and whether foods of animal origin e.g. meat, poultry, fish etc. are handled or processed.
The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) guides to good practice provide guidance on complying with the food hygiene legislation and are an invaluable resource for food businesses:
Funding4Business 
The City Council is acutely aware of the importance of funding for businesses and so the unit has developed a funding support website for businesses which will provide comprehensive details of government and EU funding opportunities including grants, loans etc.
The Business Information Centre
The Business Information Centre is located in the Central Library in Dublin's city centre on Henry Street. The Business Information Centre is a reference service specialising in company and market information. The Centre holds books, directories, Irish government legislation, business magazines, databases, newspaper cuttings and also holds a collection of Irish company reports.
For more information on the services provided by the Business Information Centre click here
The Dublin Food Chain
The creation of a Network of Food Producers, distributors and Retailers located in Dublin, Ireland
The Purpose of the Dublin Food Chain is to research and pinpoint the key challenges facing the small producers, distributors and retailers in the food sector in the Dublin region and to develop a support network where the various players can work together to develop a sustainable local economy.