Dept. Enterprise & Trade
The Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment is responsible for a range of economic and social policy areas. This includes the regulation of trade unions and societies, consumer affairs matters, aspects of economic policy, energy, the European Support Unit, insolvency service, social economy, statistics and economic research, telecoms, tourism, better regulation, minerals, and petroleum.
The Department maintains the Register of Credit Unions and Industrial and Provident Societies. The Department is the registering authority under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 and the Credit Unions (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. The regulation of credit unions has now been taken over by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority UK-wide, since 31st March 2012.
The Consumer Affairs branch of the Department comprises the Trading Standards Service and Consumerline, together with sections dealing with legislation, administration, support, policy, and debt advice.
The Trading Standards Office promotes fair trading and seeks to protect customers. It enforces a wide range of consumer legislation.
Consumerline is a telephone and online advice service for Northern Ireland. The telephone advisors provide clear, practical advice on a range of consumer issues. They may remit the complaints to the Trading Standards Office for investigation.
Debt Advice services have been funded by the Department throughout Northern Ireland since 2005. The Department funds Advice NI to provide free local face-to-face debt advice services and a telephone advice service.
The Economic Policy deals with a range of strategies for Northern Ireland. The Economy and Jobs Initiative was announced in 2012 and comprises of a €200 million initiative to support persons, business, and investment. The Northern Ireland’s Economic Strategy was adopted in 2012, by the Executive Sub-Committee on the Economy. The Department deals with a range of information and fiscal matters relating to the Northern Ireland economy.
The Department has appointed Social Enterprise NI to deliver a three-year social economy work program. This is in response to findings of an independent evaluation of the Northern Ireland social economy sector. Its purpose is to develop and implement and agree to a three-year program of initiatives to enable the growth of a sustainable social economy sector.
Social Enterprise NI is a consortium of social enterprises and social entrepreneurs who have come together to design, manage, and deliver programs of initiatives to support the continued development of a sustainable NI social economy sector, Invest NI Entrepreneurship Program and help support and advice the social economy sector.
The Department is responsible for ensuring that Northern Ireland departments operate good regulatory and enforcement practices. It is committed to the principles of better regulation and policy-making and seeks to use the full range of relevant impact assessment tools as part of policy and strategy development.
Northern Ireland departments have operated under a better regulation strategy since 2001. This strategy seeks to minimize the burden of red tape on business.
A review of Northern Ireland business red tape has sought to improve the regulatory landscape by reducing unnecessary burden where it may exist for business. Better regulation produces annual reports. It is open to feedback from businesses to comment on the impact of regulation on them.
Northern Ireland departments have signed up to a new code of practice and guidance on regulation. Departments are to comply with the rules, and existing guidance is to comply as and when reviewed by the relevant department.
The Department, together with the Department of Agriculture, has promoted a strategic action plan for the agri-food sector. The industry-led Agri-Food Strategy Board was appointed to make recommendations in respect of growth targets and strategic priorities. The developments report “Going for Growth” includes recommendations accelerating the growth of farming, fishing, food, and drink processing in Northern Ireland to 2020 and beyond.
The executive has reviewed recommendations and published an action plan “Going for Growth.” The Department publishes a range of business supports and schemes available to businesses on a periodic basis. This includes the British Business Bank, breaking out of the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills. UK Green Investment Bank which offers a range of products in green investment opportunities.
The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme providing guarantees to lenders to enable them to provide debt facilities which would otherwise be declined due to inadequate borrower security. Start-up loans providing personal loan finance up to £25,000 promoted by BIS.
The European Investment Bank, Business Payment Support Service provided by HMRC, Funding for Lending Scheme, a joint initiative of Treasury and Bank of England; Agri-Food Loan Scheme developed by the Department in conjunction with Invest NI and The Department of Agriculture; Techstart NI managed on behalf of Invest NI providing business grants and finance; Co-investment Fund, developed by Invest NI and managed on its behalf; Crescent Development Funds managed by Crescent Capital providing funding to help small to medium-size enterprises; the Growth Loan Fund promoted by Invest NI; Voucher schemes; NI Small Business Loan Fund; Bank of Ireland UK Essentials for Business package; Bank of Ireland UK, Business Agri Package; Bank of Ireland UK Agribusiness Investment Fund; First Trust Bank, Business Support Fund; Santander’s Breakthrough Programme incorporating Growth Capital; Barclays Bank Service for Start-Ups; Barclays Bank offering the Business Bank Current Account; Danske Bank, Banking Service for Start-Ups; Danske Bank, Exclusive Banking for Business Switchers.
The Department has developed an enterprise strategy that sets out in detail coordinated action plans to grow a prosperous private sector in Northern Ireland. The enterprise strategy is dependent on the outcome of the Treasury initiative on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy, including in particular the proposed devolution of corporation tax powers.
The Enterprise Zones, where a number of incentives including business rate discounts, simplified planning, superfast broadband, enhanced capital allowances, the exception of enhanced capital allowances, the Northern Ireland Executive seeking to take steps to support business across Northern Ireland using these tools which are available in Great Britain.
The UK Government Economic Pact sets out three commitments in relation to Enterprise Zones, namely, enhanced capital allowances including first-year, 100% allowances. State aid rules provide that the capital allowances cannot be offered alongside other forms of regional aid such as selected financial assistance, rates discounts. Enhanced capital allowance is generally only available for large capital-intensive projects where the benefits from that allowance would outweigh other forms of support.
A pilot Enterprise Zone was launched in Coleraine offering enhanced capital allowances as an incentive.
The Northern Ireland Executive has introduced — agreed an innovation strategy for Northern Ireland 2014 to 2025. The strategy sets out key actions necessary to support businesses to become more innovative.
Smart Specialization or R1S3 arose from research and European best practice methods for regional economic transformation focusing on research and development to key region of priorities, regional strengths, private sector development, stakeholder involvement, monitoring, and evaluation. The European Commission requires regional Smart Specialization frameworks to be in place. This allows a focus on research and innovation.
Horizon 2020 is an EU framework program for research and innovation. It is providing over €80 billion of funding to the EU.
MATRIX, the Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel arose out of the Regional Innovation Strategy for Northern Ireland 2007. It is tasked with bringing forward focused advice on future policies necessary to ensure economic growth and wealth creation through the commercial exploitation of science and technology capability.
The Small Business Research Initiative seeks to connect public sector challenges with innovative ideas from industry. It seeks to support companies to generate economic growth and enable improvement in achieving government objectives. It seeks to provide innovative solutions to challenges faced by the public sector leading to better public services and improved efficiency and effectiveness. It seeks to generate new businesses for companies and provides small and SMEs a route to market for ideas.
The Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment deals with a range of issues in the energy sector, including in relation to electricity, gas, renewable electricity, energy efficiency, renewable heat. Gas licenses are granted by the NI authority for utility regulation under the Gas Order. Natural gas, above.
Petroleum licensing requires a license by the Department under the Petroleum (Production) Act (Northern Ireland) 1964 Regulations dealing with the application and licensing condition. A number of licenses have been granted in the Lough Allen Basin, Central Larne, Rathlin Basin.
The Department also deals with issues in relation to other fields including oil, LPG.
The Department provides information on energy efficiency. The Energy Efficiency Directive sought to remove barriers in the energy market and overcome market failures impeding efficiency in the supply and use of energy.
The Department is responsible for the implementation of requirements within its remit in conjunction with certain other departments, including the Department of Environment, Department of Social Development, Domestic Center, and Invest NI in the industrial sector.
The Department has completed a statutory consultation of proposals for the implementation of its billing and metering aspects of the Directive. The Department has launched a public consultation on the implementation of the Directive in relation to transmission and distribution aspects.
The single electricity market in the island of Ireland operates between Northern Ireland Electricity and EirGrid. There is a limited degree of interconnection at present. There was a proposed interconnector between County Tyrone and whole Turleenan and Kingscourt County Cavan.
EU Regulations on Trans-European Energy Infrastructure sets out rules for timely development and interoperability of energy networks within the EU. Member States must designate a national competent authority which is the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in the UK. In the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland, the Department is the delegated competent authority.
The Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive is a scheme run by the Department, providing financial support for non-domestic renewable heat generators and producers of biomethane in Northern Ireland. It seeks to increase the uptake of renewable heat to 10%. It provides support for renewable heat technologies for the lifetime of the installation to a maximum of 10 years.
The Domestic Renewable Heat Initiative is open to domestic customers who wish to accredit renewable heat installations. Eligible installations may avail of support. It provides a grant of up to £3500 for householders wishing to switch to renewable heating.
Northern Ireland has renewable energy obligations. The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change has introduced an Energy Bill which seeks to reform the electricity market across the United Kingdom. Certain measures were applied in Northern Ireland subject to its legislative consent. This includes contracts for differences for large-scale renewable energy generation, Renewables Obligation, transition arrangements, and emissions performance standards.
The Energy Efficiency Directive is designed to remove barriers in the energy market and overcome market failures that impede its efficiency and supply and use of energy. It provides for the establishment of indicative national energy efficiency targets. It seeks to achieve the EU’s 20% headline target on energy efficiency by 2020.
The Department is responsible for the implementation of requirements in Northern Ireland within its remit in conjunction with a number of other bodies and departments.
The Sustainable Energy Action Plan 2012 to 2015 outlines initiatives being undertaken by the Northern Ireland executive demonstrating united and long-lasting commitment to sustainable energy.