2024 Economic Impact Assessment of the Enterprise Centre and Hub Sector in Ireland
The first ever comprehensive economic value assessment carried out on the enterprise centre and innovation hub sector commenced in 2023 with an in-depth research exercise, gathering data across a range of key performance indicators such as GVA, employee numbers & wages expenditure which would then allow the value of the sector to be independently assessed.
This body of work was conducted through a national lens and figures are reflected accordingly. The process took approximately nine months to complete with data carefully collated and fully anonymised for reporting purposes.
Headline Facts
Since 1998, EI on behalf of DETE, has provided funding of over €200 million euro into the community enterprise and innovation hub sector across the country. [Figures supplied to CEAI by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and Enterprise Ireland]
This amounts to more than 500 individual investments into the sector via REDF, BEDF, RETS and REISS for some 270 different approved projects.
QHubs Quality and Innovation Management Programme
The QHubs Programme is a world-first National Standard for enterprise centres and hubs and offers independent, third-party verification and certification from NSAI – the National Standards Authority of Ireland.
The QHubs Growth Programme is structured on a Framework which allows participating locations to set meaningful performance improvement goals on a mapped timeline.
Progression through the Programme is supported by mentorship and complimentary programmes, with the pace of engagement entirely driven by the participating location. The QHubs Mark is awarded to locations that are verified and certified members of the QHubs Programme.
The CEAI Career and Competency Framework for the National Hub Network
The first Career and Competency Framework for the National Hub Network completed in 2024 offers a sectoral analysis of skills, learning, development, mentorship, & workplace design for the National Hub Network in partnership with CEAI – Community Enterprise Association Ireland.
The research, design and development of the Framework was led by workplace design and L&D experts and was grounded in an in-depth analysis of the current challenges and future needs of key personnel across Ireland’s National Hub Network.
A valuable contribution to the 2024 EU Year of Skills, the CEAI Competency and Career Framework sets out clearly the interventions necessary for talent development, career progression, and the retention of enterprise expertise within the Network, offering ground-breaking insights into the community enterprise sector’s strengths, and highlighting best practice approaches to optimise workforce design, skills and talent across the sector.
The National Hub Network Guidance Handbook for Good Governance
The Good Governance Handbook for the National Hub Network was co-funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Community Enterprise Association Ireland in 2023.
It is important for a Centre or Hub to have a defined legal and organisational structure and incorporation, supported by strong governance, because these measures can reduce risk and protect an organisation’s mission and its stakeholders.
A variety of regional, national, and international policies, strategies, and codes of good practice are influencing governance in Ireland and the development of the National Hub Network. To fully understand the range of legal structures of organisations, the requirements of boards and directors and what best-in-class governance looks like, please contact us to receive a complimentary copy of the Handbook.
