Mentor Grant

Enterprise Ireland Mentor Network Overview Tap into Enterprise Ireland’s network of entrepreneurs and business leaders to help you grow your business.

If you are a new, early stage or established business owner, we will match you with an experienced business mentor.

Your EI mentor can help you identify and overcome obstacles to growth, providing the tailored advice, guidance and support you need to grow your business.

Enterprise Ireland’s Mentor Network has a panel of more than 400 highly experienced business people. These are entrepreneurs, founders and senior executives with international commercial business development experience. They can offer practical advice and guidance based on their own business experience, on a one to one basis.

Mentors do not act as consultants. They are a confidential sounding board, advising you on key operational and strategic issues.

Our panel of Mentors can help you with a range of business activities such as: Commercialisation of new products and services

• More targeted sales and marketing
• Expansion into new markets
• Strategic business planning
• Attracting outside investment and funding options
• Improved R & D, design, innovation, production and logistics
• Better HR management
• Management succession

How does it work? Think about what aspect of your business you need help with and what experience and skills you would like your mentor to have. Then talk to your EI Development Advisor (DA). When your application is approved, we will match you with a shortlist of mentors that are experienced in your sector, issue or new market.

The final choice of the mentor is yours. If you have a number of issues you would like to address in your business, for example, a strategy related issue and a finance one, then more than one mentor can be assigned to you consecutively. We will make every effort to ensure you get the best mentor for the specific needs of your business.

All Mentors sign a strict confidentiality agreement with Enterprise Ireland. Once you choose a mentor, agree the objectives and goals you want to work towards. Then meet with your mentor 3, 5, or 10 times over 3, 6 or 12 months – depending on your business’s needs.

How much does it cost? Enterprise Ireland provides grant support to qualifying companies towards the cost of a mentor for up to 10 sessions (to a total of €1,750). EI pays this directly to your mentor on your behalf.

While mentors volunteer to advise our clients, we pay them a per diem or honorarium of €175 per meeting to secure their commitment and we reimburse them for expenses such as local mileage.

There is no cost to you, but to secure your commitment to the programme, and where there is some distance between you and your mentor, we will ask you to travel to your mentor’s location for some of the sessions or meet half-way.

The Mentor Network is open to Enterprise Ireland clients who are manufacturing or internationally traded services companies employing between 10 and 249 people and High Potential Start Ups (HPSUs).

The Mentor Network Programme is open for applications all year round.

• Contact your Enterprise Ireland Development Adviser to discuss your application
• First time applicants will be required to register on the Enterprise Ireland Online Application System