THE First Step programme, designed to help unemployed people start their own businesses, has created more than 1,100 jobs, its founder, Ms Norma Smurfit, said yesterday.

The programme, established in 1990, receives seven applications a day for funding from projects all over the State. Successful applicants receive interest free loans from £500 to £5,000.

The money is given to people who cannot raise seed capital elsewhere and mentors from established companies are on hand to provide free advice in the early stages of the business.

Mr Eoghan Clear, secretary of First Step, said it was a condition of the loan that the recipient accepted a mentor, who was always an experienced businessperson.

Ms Smurfit appealed to the business community to extend its support. "The more funding we have, the more projects we can support," she said. She pointed butt that companies get tax allowances on the funding.

Ms Smurfit was speaking after she was presented with the Institute of Management Consultants in Ireland (IMCI) Medal Award. The award is presented annually, to an Irish person who has achieved excellence in a specific area of management, politics or social affairs.

Previous recipients include Mr John Hume, Mr Denis Brosnan and Mr Peter Sutherland.

Presenting the award, Mr Pat Gillen, IMCI president, paid tribute to Ms Smurfit for her "initiative and foresight" in setting up First Step.

"It is a very practical and realistic step," he said, "which, with the support of the business community, is helping not only to reduce unemployment, but is also supporting an entrepreneurial attitude to setting up small businesses which are and will continue to be the backbone of the Irish economy."