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Anger over business grant cutback Anger over business grant cutback
(about 4 hours later)
Invest NI has said it is stopping start-up grants for small businesses, which provided £400.Invest NI has said it is stopping start-up grants for small businesses, which provided £400.
The move has been criticised by the Childminders' Association, which says people will find it hard to start up.The move has been criticised by the Childminders' Association, which says people will find it hard to start up.
Childminder Jane Rutherford said that starting a business was an expensive undertaking.Childminder Jane Rutherford said that starting a business was an expensive undertaking.
"I can't understand why they are taking it away - it's daunting enough the thought of going out and starting up on your own," she said."I can't understand why they are taking it away - it's daunting enough the thought of going out and starting up on your own," she said.
"But now there's not going to be any other help available so it could be off-putting to potential childminders because it is expensive.""But now there's not going to be any other help available so it could be off-putting to potential childminders because it is expensive."
In a statement Invest NI said that the small grant had been scrapped after an independent evaluation.
"One of the main findings from the evaluation was that the small grant of £400 currently provided to all who go through the programme was not a material factor in their decision to start a business," it said. It said removing the grant would allow about £1.2m a year to be invested into parts of the programmed "which deliver the greatest benefit to potential entrepreneurs and the Northern Ireland economy".