Three Ireland is delighted to announce that Beech Van Conversions from Ennis, Co. Clare has been chosen as one of the 10 winners of the 2023 Grants for Small Businesses which will see the company receive a portion of the €100,000 bursary.
Funded by Three Ireland and managed by the small business network and support provider, Enterprise Nation, the bursary comprises of €5000 cash, €5000 for device and connectivity solutions, as well as mentoring from Three Ireland’s in-house experts.
Beech Van Conversions are a local Clare business that launched a year and a half ago with the objective of assisting and educating customers on converting vans to campervans. One of the main aims of the business is to give people the tools to complete the conversions themselves. The idea of self-conversion is to give people the option who may not be able to afford a full conversion, the knowledge, tips and tricks, so they can undertake the project and convert their van into a campervan themselves.
New to this year’s programme, the top 20 shortlisted applicants will also receive expertise sessions from Three who will provide guidance across business-critical areas including sustainability, procurement, technology, social media, marketing, product development and public relations.
Beech Van Conversions was one of 10 winners of this year’s Three Grant for Small Business award. Other recipients of the award included Beagh Castle, Atlantic Scuba Divers, Eco Powered Cabinets, Pumpskynz, Companion Tandems, Diffusion Lab, Aran Goats Cheese, Panza Fins and Clever Little Handies which showcase innovative business ideas from a wide range of industries and sectors including healthcare, sustainability, the arts, education and sports.
The programme, which is now in its third year, has provided Irish SMEs with an investment of over €500,000 by Three since 2021 across products and services, advertising and PR support, as well as access to industry expertise.
Padraig Sheerin, Head of SME, Three Ireland said: “The Grant for Small Businesses is one of Three Ireland’s flagship initiatives each year and it is a programme that we take great pride in. For the third year running, Three has partnered with Enterprise Nation on this which will assist these businesses with their continuous growth and development. We are delighted with the volume of applications we received this year which is testament to the high regard that SME’s have for this initiative and the appetite for growth amongst Ireland’s entrepreneurs. While there was strong competition this year, we are delighted to award Beech Van Conversions from Ennis, Co. Clare this prize and we look forward to seeing Martin and his team achieve continued success in the future.”
Sonya Lennon, judge for Three Ireland’s Grant for Small Businesses and Entrepreneur and Advocate for Workplace Equality, said: “I have been involved with many small businesses during my career and so it has been a great honour for me to be involved in the judging process for the Three Ireland Grants for Small Businesses programme once again. This is a competition that continues to go from strength to strength which highlights business owners’ eagerness to seek supports in the form of cash but also mentorship, which is so valuable to a small business in its growth and development. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Beech Van Conversions on their brilliant win and wish them every success for the future.”