Close to 300,000 visitors are expected across the three-day event, giving the 30 small businesses exhibiting in this year's Local Enterprise Village an audience most companies could only dream of.

Run by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), the village has become a fixture of the Ploughing calendar – a place where entrepreneurs from every county get to put their products directly in front of the public.

Since the LEOs were established in 2014, they've helped create more than 80,000 jobs nationwide through mentoring, training, funding and advice, and the village is where much of that work is put on display.

Chair of the Local Enterprise Village Committee and head of enterprise at Local Enterprise Office Limerick Mike Cantwell is in his first year in the role. Mike also runs a calf-to-beef enterprise on his farm.

Michael Burke, Amy Geoghegan, Woolow. Diarmuid Crowley, Wild Orchard Natural Beverages, Eleanor Forrest, Enterprise Ireland, Helen Ryan, Local Enterprise Office, Joe Slattery, National Ploughing Association, Eimear Larkin, SafeShel, Declan Molone and Shannon Forrest both Rívesci, Linda Chanders, Sunire and in tractor Mike Cantwell, Head of Enterprise, LEO, Limerick pictured at the launch of the 2026 Local Enterprise Village

Cantwell explained that this year's exhibitors were chosen by their LEO teams, with each office putting forward a client company “that were already selling a product and were ready to go to market".

"We want to showcase young and vibrant businesses who are also ready to scale," he said. With close to 300,000 people attending over the three days, he added, the village is "an excellent shop window" for these companies to reach a large audience.

This year's village also introduces some new features. The Business Advice Hub, which Cantwell described as a walk-in service rather than a booked appointment, will be staffed by LEO business advisers and enterprise development officers.

There will be two booths over the three days, available to companies wanting to find out more or explore scaling up, or potential start-ups.

"There is no need for an appointment – they can just call in and chat," Cantwell said. If someone can't be seen straight away, the team will take their details and arrange a callback later the same day.

Michael Burke, Amy Geoghegan, Woolow., Diarmuid Crowley, Wild Orchard Natural Beverages, Eleanor Forrest, Enterprise Ireland, Helen Ryan, Local Enterprise Office, Joe Slattery, National Ploughing Association, Eimear Larkin, SafeShel, Declan Molone and Shannon Forrest both Rívesci, Linda Chanders, Sunire and in tractor Mike Cantwell, Head of Enterprise, LEO, Limerick are pictured at the launch of the 2026 Local Enterprise Village

Also new this year is the Enterprise Europe Network – a partnership between the LEO, Enterprise Ireland and the European Commission.

Cantwell explained its purpose is to connect Irish businesses with larger European companies actively looking for new suppliers.

"You might use the example of Renault, who might be looking for a business in Ireland to supply them with brake pads," he said. "The Enterprise Europe Network will link these businesses with Irish businesses. There are plenty of options available and they'll assist businesses to find out how they can supply these larger European companies."

Enterprise Europe Network advisers will be on site throughout the three days to offer more information to interested businesses.

Google's AI team is also back for a second year after a well-received debut in 2025, running live demonstrations of Gemini and showing practical ways AI can support both business and everyday life.

The exhibitors themselves span an unusually wide range of Irish enterprise – award-winning food and drink producers alongside craft, design and manufacturing businesses, and more specialised ventures working in areas such as skin cancer prevention and emergency incident response.

Managing director of the National Ploughing Association Anna May McHugh described the village as one of the most valuable parts of the event.

"It gives small Irish businesses from across the country the opportunity to showcase what they do to the huge crowds that attend each year. It's great to welcome Google back for a second year, alongside the Local Enterprise Offices who will be on hand offering advice and support – it's great to see such valuable supports available to small businesses and budding entrepreneurs."

Beyond the village, the LEOs run a number of other initiatives to support entrepreneurship throughout the year, including Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women's Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. Local Enterprise Offices are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.

You'll find the Local Enterprise Village at Block 3, Row 8, Stand 150 – so if you're at this year's event, be sure to call in, say hello, and see for yourself what these 30 businesses have been working on. It's a must-visit for anyone who wants to meet the people behind the products.

More information on the supports available to small businesses is at www.LocalEnterprise.ie.