We're delighted to bring you another jam-packed issue of Dublin Chamber Weekly, kindly sponsored by PwC.

Inside this week's edition you will find details of the Chamber’s latest policy and lobbying work. There's also information on unmissable upcoming events.

All that plus your regular helping of member news and much, much more. Enjoy the issue!

We are well into the new year and the business landscape remains dominated by COVID-19. Many companies, especially private and family businesses, are also battling with the post-Brexit trading landscape. Times of change however, are also an opportunity to reshape, and we are seeing an acceleration of a range of trends that had been brewing. As businesses assess the new landscape, positioning for future growth now should be a priority. We set out below five key considerations for private businesses to continue to scale-up and become fit for the future.

This week the Government announced a new €60 million package for certain businesses impacted by the pandemic, called the Covid-19 Business Aid Scheme (CBAS). It has been developed to provide grants to businesses which are ineligible for the Government’s other schemes designed to help with fixed costs. Businesses such as wholesalers, suppliers, caterers, and events companies down 75% or more in turnover will benefit.

This follows a Dublin Chamber lobbying campaign since the start of the new year to extend Government supports to companies that are currently excluded from the CRSS and from other existing measures. You can read some of what we have been saying to policymakers here.

Dublin Chamber welcomes the announcement, but concern remains about the indications that the CBAS will be restricted to companies with a commercial rates account.

If you want to hear about Dublin City Council’s plans for the city you will want to book in for this webinar on Thursday 18th February at 11am. Dublin City Planner John O'Hara will brief Chamber members on the upcoming Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028, plans for Living Above The Shop measures, housing and the urban realm, and what all this means for the future residential capacity in the city. 
 
As the we look to the future of Dublin post-pandemic, John will discuss some of the key issues he faces in ensuring a resilient, competitive, and liveable city in the future. His presentation will be followed by an opportunity for audience Q&A. Book your place here.

Dublin Chamber is delighted to welcome Minister Seán Fleming of the Department of Finance as the first guest in our 2021 Political Series on Tuesday 23rd February at 12noon. With responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions, and Insurance, his work deals with some of the most important issues facing Dublin businesses and the wider economy at present. The Minister of State has kindly agreed to join Chamber members at this webinar briefing to answer their questions and concerns.

He will give an overview of the main priorities and challenges he is dealing with in his portfolio at present, before beginning the audience Q&A session. Register for the webinar here.

Over the past year Chamber members have been letting us know their experiences, concerns, and requirements for supports in relation to remote and flexible working, both through surveys and focus groups. Most recently this included focus group sessions with 100 participants in which Chamber members of all sizes and sectors had their say on the new National Remote Working Strategy.  This valuable data has now been collated into a summary report that has been communicated to key policymakers. You can read the report here.

The Government's National Remote Working Strategy can be found here.

The conversation about remote and flexible working – and its implications for businesses and the future of Dublin – is far from over. If you have feedback you want to share, let us know by emailing sinead@dublinchamber.ie.

Dublin Chamber’s Planning & Infrastructure Taskforce is busy looking ahead to the future of the Dublin region post-Covid. Intelligent planning, greater urban density, and ambitious investment in public transport and other infrastructure will all be critical to ensuring Dublin’s future competitiveness in a fast-changing world. In recent weeks the Chamber has made submissions on the Transport Strategy for the Greater Area and on the future North Runway at Dublin Airport, promoting our vision of a well-functioning city region that is highly connected with the global economy.

Now, Dublin City Council is preparing its new City Development Plan for 2022-2028 and the Chamber will be promoting its own vision of a dense and sustainable city centre with proper residential capacity for its growing population. If you have thoughts on the development plan, you can contact marian@dublinchamber.ie.

Partnering with Dublin Chamber will be the perfect opportunity for your company to engage with some of the Greater Dublin Area's biggest business leaders.

Dublin Chamber’s events programme aims to support and educate our members on a broad range of topics, from Digital Transformation to Sustainability, from Brexit to Inclusion & Representation – and more.

We have worked hard to adapt our events programme to suit the virtual working world that many of us now inhabit.

Why not support our Momentum Series 2021 or International Women's Day which both have a great line up of speakers?

Please click here to read more on our sponsorship opportunities or email Ciara@dublinchamber.ie.

You have told us that sustainability is important to you and your business and as your Chamber, we need to make sure we’re providing the best guidance, learning, and thought leadership in this space. To do this we are asking for your feedback through a 5 minute survey designed with Amárach Research to establish the sustainability understanding and needs of Dublin businesses. This feedback will help us ensure that Dublin Chamber is best able to meet your needs for support, advice, and training on sustainability. Take our short survey here.

On Wednesday 10th February we had our online event on Strategies for Business Recovery and Growth in 2021 with Linked Finance. Niall O’Grady, CEO of Linked Finance, John Madigan, Head of Marketing and Research, SBCI and entrepreneur, business expert and broadcaster, Bobby Kerr and Felim Meade, CEO, Graham O'Sullivan Restaurants & Emerald Green Baby joined us to discuss the sentiment among the SME business community as we start 2021 and where the opportunities lie for businesses to succeed in 2021. Watch it back here.

We have a number of great virtual events lined up over the coming weeks that you won't want to miss. Here's a snapshot of some of the highlights.

12th February: Networking Masterclass with Kingsley Aikins. Book here. 

16th February: Intellectual Property In Latin America: How To Exploit Your Creations. Book here.

10th February: Monthly Speed Networking. Book here.

24th February: Momentum Series 2021. Book here.

24th/ 26th February: Sustainability Academy: Sustainability 101. Book here.

1st March: Monday Wellness with Brian Pennie. Book here. 

4th March: AGM 2021. Book here. 

8th March: International Women's Day. Book here. 

For a full listing of all our upcoming events please head over to our website here.

*Some of our events are only open to specific member categories.