The Western Development Commission is a statutory body to promote social and economic development in the Western Region.

It advises the government on regional issues and promotes government policy directed at improving social and economic standards here. It manages the WDC Investment Fund, which provides loans and equity to businesses and local communities in the region. WDC strategy is built on three pillars: regional promotion; regional leadership; and sustainable enterprise. Its initiatives had success in creating new national policy frameworks, leverage private and public investment and enlist communities. For over a decade the WDC has led the region in the development of its creative economy, including projects, funding, and regional assets such as:

  • Delivering a range of EU CCSI projects – for example, delivering a regional SME platform for Creatives and the Spot-Lit programme to establish a Regional Literary Tourism sector.
  • Multimillion funding to develop a regional Film & AV production fund – WRAP.
  • A creative micro-loans facility for CCSI.
  • Driving the Regional Enterprise Plan strategic objectives to grow the sector in the West while delivering on the National and European CCSI agenda.
  • An unparalleled body of analysis and data insight into the regional sector, driven by a dedicated regional development and policy team, Identifying long-term trends, challenges and solutions in CCSI.
  • €2.7M funding for a unique Creative Industries Hub (CREW) delivering, collaboratively, incubation and acceleration initiatives.

Main Partners:

 

Associate Partners:

 

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Innovation Council and SMES Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.