Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT), supported by Limerick Chamber of Commerce, is delighted to announce a new milestone in education and business support training in the city with the establishment of Europe’s first third‐level centre of excellence for franchise development. The National Franchise Centre, which is modelled on the existing and highly successful LEAP (Limerick Enterprise Acceler
ation Programme) run at LIT’s Enterprise Acceleration Centre (EAC), will offer specifically tailored six‐month training programmes to persons interested in taking up on franchise opportunities in Ireland and abroad. The Centre, which will be based in Limerick City and will initially support 10 jobs at the outset, has already secured €1million in funding from the European Globalisation Fund (EGF) to cater for up to 100 former Dell employees in the first programme, starting in January. The EGF funding will be ringfenced for training of people made redundant by Dell and associated companies who take up the programme and will not be part of the capital expenditure on the project. The programme, however, will not be exclusive to former Dell employees and expects to offer up to 100 places in two annual programmes, starting in January and July each year. The Franchise Acceleration Start‐up Training (FAST) programme run at the Centre will provide comprehensive and inclusive business enterprise training, covering all aspects of running/owning or managing a successful business with a particular focus on franchises. It will also offer Retail Management support for persons interested in start‐ups in this sector. In addition to providing the training, FAST will also validate the skill‐sets of trainees, through compatibility profiling for their desired franchise as well as provide access to seed capital and finance for the franchisee. It will also provide mentoring for the trainees from successfully established franchises throughout the programme and after, on securing a franchise.
