National Association of Community Enterprise Centres (NACEC)

NACEC is the national representative organisation for Community Enterprise Centres in Ireland. NACEC is driven by a National Executive Committee that has representatives from across Ireland and from a range of Centre types. NACEC promotes and develops the interests of community-based not-for-pro­fit enterprise centres. It recognises the values and principles of community-based enterprise centres and works towards the following objectives:

• To promote and develop a strong community-based enterprise centre sector at national level
• To act as a representative body for member centres at a national and EU level on issues concerning their members
• To act as a single voice in representations to agencies and public bodies
• To develop marketing and publicity projects and programmes for the sector
• To act as a medium for the sharing of best practice within the membership and the wider enterprise development sector
• To act as a network for community-based enterprise centres
• To promote high professional standards within the sector
• To act as a forum for the development of policies that impact on the entire sector
   

IRD and NACEC:

The CEO of IRD Kiltimagh CLG, Joe Kelly held the position of NACEC Chairman from 2012 to 2017. During that term he led the restructuring of this National Association so that all Enterprise Ireland Funded Enterprise Centres all over the country could participate and learn from each others experiences. Two studies in this perions showed that the National Associations member Enterprise Centres collectively provided homes to companies employing about 5000 people, the equivalent of an Intel sized operation.

Prior to his role as Chairman, Joe held the position of Vice Chair in the period 2010 to 2012 and West Regional Delegate from 2007 to 2010.  

More detail on NACEC is available here.