Project Description

Entrepreneurs convert an idea or a challenge into an enterprise that brings a new product or service to life that meets the needs of people where they live, or further afield, or both. 

This often starts with limited resources and financial risk. The process of creating a new business starts with identifying a need for a new product, process, or service, and then building an enterprise around that need. 

The Loop Head Enterprise Academy (LEA) would match people with ideas - for profit or not-for-profit enterprises - with people who can help them move forward on their entrepreneurial journey. LEA would help make things happen by supporting the creative thinking, energy, determination, and drive of entrepreneurs on the Peninsula to overcome the hurdles and possible pitfalls associated with launching a new business. Not sure you are an entrepreneur? Getting involved with this is a great way to find out.

The Loop Head Peninsula is blessed with people who can take the initiative to make an idea happen. To be successful requires well-informed decision making, and such decisions are often best made with the input of different perspectives if we want to get them right. 

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

Project Justification & Objectives

Transforming a big idea, or collection of small ideas, into a clear project outline that can be easily communicated with others is no easy task. It is a journey that can benefit from many different points of view and deep discussions to create clarity about the opportunities and the challenges. Professional advice and support to move a young enterprise through financial equations, legal frameworks, funding opportunities and marketing, among others, is of great benefit for start-ups. 

The Loop Head Enterprise Academy (LEA) would be a forum where people with business or social enterprise concepts can meet LEA mentors to help clarify their ideas, define the route ahead and connect with a network of people committed to help enterprise (social or profit-making) address some of the many challenges present on the Loop.

Potential Project Stakeholders*

• Local budding entrepreneurs 

• Local businesses 

• Local community groups 

• Local Schools 

• Loop Head Together (LT) 

• Loop Head Tourism (LHT) 

• Loop Head Energy Action Partnership (LEAP) 

• LEO (Local Enterprise Office) 

• Clare CoCo 

• Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) 

• Service providers and mentors

*Potential Project Stakeholders means all stakeholders have not necessarily yet been contacted to help co-design the project, but are mentioned here as they would be a desirable project partner. We may have forgotten some - please let us know!