SMEs and entrepreneurship are central to Ireland’s challenge of generating a broad-based growth and prosperity that builds on and extends its successes in attracting high quality foreign direct investment. This report examines how to strengthen SMEs and entrepreneurship across the economy. It covers the characteristics and performance of SMEs and entrepreneurship, the business environment, the framework for policy formulation and delivery, national programmes for SMEs and entrepreneurs, the role of local bodies and interventions in tailoring policy to spatial differences, the productivity performance of SMEs, and the design and delivery of business development services.
The report identifies a number of challenges for policy. These include increasing productivity growth in SMEs, increasing the business start-up rate and business dynamism, facilitating entrepreneurship among women, youth and migrants, scaling up micro-enterprises and generating more medium-sized firms, and increasing SME activity on foreign markets. A number of recommendations are provided to help meet these challenges.