Dear ,

Welcome to this week's jam-packed issue of Dublin Chamber Weekly. This week we bring you details of how to get listed in our new #SupportLocal Business Directory. 

There's also an offer to attend AIB's upcoming Sustainability Conference free of charge, plus an invite to a very special Budget 2021 Focus Group that we have coming up. There's also a healthy helping of member news.

Don't forget, if your company has news items it would like to see included in Dublin Chamber Weekly (or in our other publications) then please send them to us.

We hope you enjoy this week's issue.

Dozens of businesses have already signed up for Dublin Chamber's new #SupportLocal Business Directory - a dedicated page on our website which showcases all the great local businesses that are selling online.

Supporting local businesses has never been more important. The introduction of Level 5 lockdown restrictions has dealt a huge blow to the small business community in Dublin, with many retailers, traders, hospitality firms and local producers forced to close their physical doors. Yet, a large number of these businesses remain open for business via their online stores.

To help consumers to find their way to their websites, we've launched the #SupportLocal Business Directory. This page will act as a first port of call for anyone looking to support local businesses when buying online over the coming weeks.

If you'd like to have your company added to our listing, please fill out your details here.  Play your part: #SupportLocal

On Monday 2nd of November, AIB will host their annual Sustainability Conference. And you are invited! AIB is extending an offer to Chamber members to attend and to join the sustainability conversation. The conference features both global and local experts, who will highlight the importance of investing in a sustainable business strategy in order to respond to the challenge of climate change. Register for your free place here. 

Dublin Chamber broadly welcomed Budget 2021 last week, though some quests remain unanswered. A handy overview of our analysis is available here. 

In order to better understand the impact of Budget 2021 and what refinements or further measures may be necessary, we are holding a Budget 2021 Focus Group on Friday 23rd of October at 12pm. Members can discuss the challenges they face, highlight potential issues with measures announced in the Budget, and identify areas for clarification or improvement. 

Please register your interest in participating by emailing carol@dublinchamber.ie  

• 23rd October:  Sustainability Academy: Green Finance. Book here.
• 28th October: Sustainable Dublin 2050 - Green Finance. Book here. 
• 29th October:  Boost with Facebook. Book here.
• 2nd November: Monday Wellness with Professor Luke O' Neill. Book here. 
• 11th November: Define Your International Growth Strategy and Build Your Export Operations with Google. Book here. 
• 12th November: Bid Services Tender Training. Book here. 
• 18th November: Scale Your Brand and Advertise Across Borders with Google. Book here. 

You can view full details of all our upcoming webinars here. (**Please note: some of our events are open to specific member categories only)

The Government has announced that the rates of subsidy provided for under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) will be revised to achieve better alignment to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) rates. Revenue has this week provided further information for employers in relation to the new subsidy rates payable and the planned significant changes to the EWSS payment schedule. The revised scheme will operate in respect of payroll submissions with pay dates on or after 20th October 2020.  

What is the Government doing to support businesses during lockdown? This is just one of issues that will be discussed on Wednesday 4th November when we host a special webinar with Minister of State for Employment Affairs and Retail Businesses Damien English TD. His presentation will be followed by an opportunity for Q&A. Register here.

We had a number of great webinars this week. Don't worry if you missed out on any of them as you can catch up via the links below.

Last Friday we had our Dublin Transport Briefing with Jim Meade, CEO of Irish Rail, who spoke about plans to expand and improve the rail network in the Dublin region over the coming years. Watch it back here. 

Our latest Momentum Series 2020 - Build, Scale & Grow event, sponsored by Ulster Bank, took place on Tuesday with Aoife D'Arcy, CEO and Co-Founder of Krisolis, Vanessa Tierney, CEO of Abodoo  and CiaraDonlon, CEO & Founder of Theya Healthcare. Watch it back here.

Tech Talks with Jason Ward, Vice President and Managing Director, of Dell Technologies Ireland and Northern Ireland took place on Thursday. Watch it back here.