Ormeau Business Park Awarded EMEEN Economic Empowerment Partners.
- EMEEN Network
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
EMEEN Publication
EMEEN, The Centre for Ethnic Minority Economic Activity, is proud to formally award Ormeau Business Park the status of EMEEN Economic Empowerment Partner in recognition of the extensive engagement, strategic collaboration, and measurable impact delivered over the past 18 months. This Silver-Level accreditation, valid until March 2028, reflects a strong and practical commitment to advancing ethnic minority entrepreneurship and inclusive economic development in South Belfast which has the highest density of ethnic minority population. Ormeau Business Park follows InterTradeIreland, which was announced earlier as an EMEEN Economic Empowerment Partner, marking a continued expansion of strategic institutional partnerships aligned with EMEEN’s mission.
Prof. M Satish Kumar, Senior Director and Mentor at EMEEN, reflected on the broader significance of the accreditation:
“Sustainable economic growth requires institutions and networks to work in alignment around shared purpose. Strategic partnerships such as this strengthen enterprise ecosystems by creating measurable outcomes and long-term trust. Ormeau Business Park’s accreditation reflects not only commitment, but demonstrated action and sustained engagement.”
At the centre of this collaboration has been the Building My Business Series, a structured programme designed to support entrepreneurs across the full business journey from pre-start and early-stage founders to more established businesses seeking growth and sustainability. Through this initiative, EMEEN and Ormeau Business Park delivered five focused business development workshops, hosted eight distinguished guest speakers, and engaged nearly 60 entrepreneurs and business owners.
Approximately 40% of participants were from ethnic minority backgrounds, demonstrating a meaningful contribution to strengthening diverse enterprise participation while fostering integrated learning environments alongside majority counterparts. The programme created shared spaces for dialogue, peer learning, and commercial development reinforcing a practical model of inclusive economic activity.
Beyond workshops, the partnership delivered nearly 75 hours of dedicated one-to-one mentorship support. This tailored guidance included business planning assistance, strategic advice, and commercial structuring support, helping entrepreneurs strengthen both operational capability and leadership confidence. The measurable mentoring investment highlights the depth of engagement rather than surface-level activity.
Patricia McNeill, CEO of Ormeau Business Park, commented on the partnership:
“Ormeau Business Park has developed a strong collaboration with EMEEN over the past three years. This working relationship, culminating in our accreditation as a Silver-Level Economic Empowerment Partner, has enabled the growth of a culturally diverse network of entrepreneurs across the South Belfast area. Through this partnership, we have gained a deeper understanding of entrepreneurs’ needs and have been better positioned to support them in reaching their full potential. Working with EMEEN has been a key factor in the strength and success of this collaboration.”
This accreditation stands as a testament to Ormeau Business Park’s inclusive agenda and its genuine commitment to empowering ethnic minorities into economic activity and sustainable enterprise. Patricia McNeill has been instrumental in driving this initiative forward, ensuring that planned action translated into meaningful and measurable outcomes.
Steve Lazars, Founder and Director of EMEEN & The Business Zone, added:
“We extend our sincere appreciation to Ormeau Business Park for their valued partnership in supporting ethnic minority entrepreneurship and business across South Belfast. This accreditation reflects sustained engagement, structured delivery, and measurable impact. It is a clear testament to their long-term commitment to strengthening ethnic minority economic activity alongside our majority counterparts.”
As this partnership continues through to March 2028, EMEEN looks forward to deepening collaboration and expanding shared impact across the region.
Organisations interested in becoming an EMEEN Economic Empowerment Partner are invited to contact info@emeen.co.uk to explore future opportunities for structured, measurable, and sustainable enterprise collaboration. Strategic alignment, when combined with consistent action, remains central to strengthening Northern Ireland’s enterprise ecosystem for all communities.
