Mid & East Antrim

For Business support:

Information on all aspects of business support is regularly announced via their website and corporate social media channels.

Visit Website: https://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk

Social Media:

• Facebook
• Twitter 
• Instagram

Tourism Support

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is committed to a programme of training and support to contribute to product development, business improvement and growth and to enhance industry skills and knowledge.

The Tourism Team is currently hybrid working but is still here to provide ongoing guidance, plus co-ordination of online training opportunities and involvement in dedicated tourism marketing campaigns. #ShapedbySeaandStone.

Sign up to their regular tourism and hospitality industry news e-zine here.

The Council’s dedicated tourism website, Shaped by Sea and Stone, is fed from discovernorthernireland.com.

Tourism Team: tourism@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or

Contact Zoe Lindsay, Tourism Business Engagement Officer

E: zoe.lindsay@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

T: +44 (0) 28 2826 2379

Further trade information can be found at their Trade Support Hub here.  (going live soon)

Economic Development Support

Council offer a wide range of business, employment and skills support.

For current programmes and upcoming events please visit: Economic Development | Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

E: amplify@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
T: +44 (0) 28 2563 3363

Mid and East Antrim Business Support Portal

1. Skills Support

Mid and East Antrim Labour Market Partnership

Mid and East Antrim Labour Market Partnership aims to support more people into meaningful employment.

The Labour Market Partnership (LMP) is a province-wide approach developed by the Department of Communities and aims to address issues with jobs and training by combining resources and delivering a collaborative and flexible approach to employability support.

The LMP focuses on improving labour market conditions and addressing issues with employers, training providers, as well as community and voluntary organisations.

For any further information please contact the team:
E: lmp@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

T: 028 2563 3345

MEA Employment Academies

Council offer a range of employment academies designed to enable participants to attain accredited qualifications to ensure career pathway progression and access to local employment opportunities. Opportunities exist on bespoke training programmes which include, Hospitality and Tourism, Transport, Classroom Assistant, Construction, Manufacturing and Forklift.

2. Business Support – Start Up & Growth

Business Start and Enterprise Support

Councils are developing a new suite of business start and enterprise support interventions to be implemented in Autumn 2023 and this page will be updated in due course, please contact amplify@midandeastantrim.gov.uk.

Spark

Spark helps you to fire up your business potential offering specialist mentoring support to businesses in the start-up phase of trading.

To access support from the programme your business must be:

• Based within the area of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
• Intending to start trading within three months
• Trading up to one year

As part of the programme, you will benefit from:

• Business diagnostic
• Specialist one-to-one business mentoring and advice
• Future planning and goal setting

ESCALATE Programme

Looking to grow your business and explore new opportunities?

Our specialist business mentoring programme Escalate is specifically designed to help you grow your business and achieve your ambitions for the future.

You can access FREE support from expert mentors across a range of areas to help you scale and grow your business:

• Strategic Growth
• Export
• Innovation
• HR & Staff Development
• Financial Management
• Sales and Marketing
• ICT/E-commerce
• Leadership and Management
• Customer Experience Management
• Business Planning
• Digital Marketing
• Tendering
• Business Operations

Let us help you take your business to the next level!

You can register your interest in the programme via the Business Support Portal.

Enterprising Women

Enterprising Women is a dedicated female network in Mid and East Antrim, that supports new and established female entrepreneurs. We want to help you to connect, grow in confidence, develop your networks and collaborate with like minded women just like you. Managed by Carrickfergus Enterprise in conjunction with Ballymena Business Centre, with funding provided by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, there are regular events and opportunities to network in a fun and interesting way. If you don’t want to miss out on future events, join today using link

Enterprising Women - Registration Form (jotform.com) A warm welcome and a cuppa awaits you at our next event!

3. Mid and East Antrim Food and Drink Network

Recognising our Borough's rich agrifood and drink heritage and the importance of this sector to the economy, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is committed to driving economic activity, creating jobs, and supporting businesses throughout the supply chain.

This business network brings together businesses, industry experts, and key stakeholders, providing networking opportunities, knowledge sharing, and collaboration.  Agri-food businesses have enjoyed practical workshops, best practice visits, mentoring support as well as visits and sessions from key industry experts.

Agri Food and Drink Business Event Series, commencing in July 2023 – bookable online here.

Get involved and equip yourself with the tools and knowledge necessary for sustainable growth and success.

To register your interest in the food and drink network Email: Mary.oboyle@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

4. Town centre Business Support 

If you are a Town Centre Business and would like to receive regular updates from the Town Centre Team, please send your:

• Business Name
• Address
• Email, and
• Contact Telephone Number

Via email to: towncentres@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

Additionally, if you are a new business in our Town Centre or need any support, please contact a member of the team and we would be happy to help.

ShopMEA App

ShopMEA is revolutionary new local marketplace platform designed exclusively to help Mid and East Antrim Town Centre businesses sell more, to more people, more often. It offers businesses free promotion to new customers in-app, online and on-street. The platform also promotes exclusive local rewards, offers, businesses, events, attractions, maps and information.

Designed exclusively by app developers bubltown, on behalf of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Town Centre Recovery Group, to support the local business community, ShopMEA was launched in October 2021 by Council and funded by the Department of Communities.

Now is the time to showcase your business, and whether you have special discount days or loyalty rewards you want people to know about, this new app will provide the opportunity to escalate sales through exposure to a massive local audience.

The benefits to businesses signing up to ShopMEA are:

• Reach More Customers-
  Get your business seen by more residents and visitors of MEA; online in-app and in-store.
• Grow your Sales-
  Promote a local offer or add your products and services, and new customers will come to you.
• Boost brand awareness-
  90% of people start their search for local businesses online. Increase their chances of finding you.

If you are a business interested in signing up, click here to fill out the registration form.

Carrickfergus Monthly Artisan Market

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council working with Urban Market have been running an Outdoor Artisan Food & Craft Market with live music, in the historic Market Place, Carrickfergus since May 2021. Running from 11am-3pm on the first Saturday of every month.

Applications are welcomed from businesses in Mid & East Antrim Borough who make their own products and would be interested in selling at future speciality markets.

If you would be interested in this please fill out this quick form; https://forms.office.com/e/yC2KGdZ02k

5. Environmental Health Support

For all Environmental Health related queries please
E: MEA.envhealth@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or
T: 028 2563 3394 (Ballymena area) or 028 2826 2498 (Carrickfergus / Larne area).