A NEW social enterprise hub for businesses has opened in west Belfast.
Delivering Social Change Social Enterprise Hub based on the Springfield Road offers training space, office space and hot-desk facilities for the third sector.
It also has two retail units to organisations interested in market testing new ideas.
The facility will be managed by business development agency Ortus and is one of 11 such hubs to be set up across the north as part of a £4 million initiative.
Speaking at the launch, junior minister Jennifer McCann said the centre "will provide new opportunities for social enterprise growth and improve future sustainability within the third sector".
"The support available to new social enterprises through this hub is highly valuable, ranging from a walk in business advice service, free hot desks with WiFi and two incubation units to fully support new social enterprises in their early stages of trading," she said.
Junior minister Jonathan Bell said the hub "demonstrates the executive's commitment to supporting local communities to bring about real social benefits.
"We are determined to make a change for the better for all the people of Northern Ireland," he said.
"I have no doubt that this social enterprise will bring tangible benefits to west Belfast through engaging with local people who have business ideas and help them develop these into reality."
Those interested in setting up or developing a social enterprise can avail of a range of support, including free training, best practice visits, fab lab sessions, business clinics, mentoring support and free incubation space for up to six months.
Ortus CEO Seamus O'Prey added: "As one of the longest running social enterprises in the west Belfast area, Ortus are fully committed to the development of new social enterprise activity within the west Belfast area and the new Social Enterprise Hub is the perfect platform to facilitate this process. We have already secured our first tenant in one of our incubation units, through a partnership with the West Belfast Partnership Board and local artists. The Social Enterprise Hub will provide them with a free shop front unit as well as ongoing mentoring support to develop their businesses."