Western Development Commission (WDC)

The Western Development Commission (WDC) is a statutory body that was set up to promote both social and economic development in the Western Region (Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare) by:

- Ensuring that government policy is directed at improving the social and economic situation in the region.
- Developing projects in tourism, industry, marine, renewable energy, technology and organic agri-food, and so on.
- Operating the €32 million Western Investment Fund (WIF) to provide loans and equity to business and local communities in the West.

The WDC plays a unique role in the Western Region:

- We are the only agency with the remit to develop and facilitate proactively strategies at the regional level.
- We are the only agency commissioned by government to put proposals to them on policy changes appropriate to the West.
- We are the only agency with approval to invest in local businesses as we do with the Western Investment Fund (WIF), which is only available to projects within the Western Region.

Small, flexible and regionally focused, the WDC can collaborate with all sectors (public, private and voluntary) and find ways around organisational boundaries. The organisation’s strong ethos of sharing intellectual and other resources means it is well placed to help achieve common good within the West.