WesternConnect has won four Leader+ ebusiness programmes for micro businesses in the rural areas of Derry, Coleraine, Magherafelt and Fermanagh. If you are interested in the programme and think that your company is eligible, click here to get in touch with our team

Rural Area Partnership In Derry Ltd (RAPID), Coleraine Local Action Group for Enterprise Ltd (COLLAGE), Magherafelt Area Partnership (MAP), Fermanagh Local Action Group (FLAG) has been appointed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to administer the LEADER + Programme. WesternConnect have been awarded the contract to design, develop and to implement all four programmes on behalf of these organisations.

One of the overall aims of the Leader + Programme is to assist local micro businesses expand and grow to sustain existing jobs. The target groups of LEADER+ is women, farming families, long term unemployed and young people.
Consultations with statutory bodies and other relevant agencies such as Invest NI and Business Start have identified a gap in business support provision. This gap relates to business development after the initial impetus derived from the business start up programme. At this stage, small rural businesses tend to focus on increasing production and sales and other aspects of the business, such as the development of specific business systems which address practical business needs could be neglected. These needs will differ between businesses and could vary from the provision of highly specialist software with appropriate training in its use to the basic presentation of account information which would save the amount of time taken by the accountant to prepare accounts and hence save the business money.

The aim of the Programme is to encourage rural micro businesses to undertake training and mentoring and avail of LEADER+ financial support to use IT to make their business more efficient. The aims are:

• To expand on the benefits of the use of new know how and new technology.
• To improve business efficiency.
• To increase business competitiveness.
• To reduce business costs.
• To provide bespoke business support in the use of IT and specialist financial software to one nominated person from each participant business, in order to improve the efficiency of the business.
• To provide capital grant-aid at a rate of 50% of eligible costs towards the costs of a computer or software.

WesternConnect partner Turkington Technology Consulting to develop world class website for ILEX....

WesternConnect, in partnership with Turkington Technology Consulting (TTC) are helping Ilex develop a world class website, to allow interactive communication and engagement between Ilex, its stakeholders and the wider community.
This website will provide a source of news, information and links relating to Ilex and the co-ordinated regeneration of the Derry City Council area.

Ilex is the urban regeneration company established to create imaginative, dynamic and achievable strategic objectives to address and improve the social, economic, physical and environmental conditions in the Derry City Council area.

WesternConnect has won a contract with COLLAGE to provide an ICT programme for rural business in the Coleraine Council area.

The objective is to deliver an innovative, interesting and stimulating programme to 20 micro businesses in rural areas within Coleraine Borough Council to raise awareness of the benefits of e-business and help rural companies to increase trade and profitability.

COLLAGE have selected WesternConnect for our track record and proven expertise in working with rural communities and driving the economic development agenda for local government.  

WesternConnect has been appointed to Invest Northern Ireland's framework for consultancy services under their e-business programme.

WesternConnect will be one of only 6 companies delivering ICT workshops, mentoring and consultancy support to Invest Northern Ireland's client companies throughout Northern Ireland for the next 2 years.

The overall aim of the programme is to move the INI Client companies further up the ladder of ebusiness use sophistication, thus improving services for all.