Belfast software SME, Locate a Locum, is investing over £1.3m in Research & Development (R&D) and the creation of 14 new jobs.
Recruitment for the new roles is already underway, with job opportunities for software engineers, marketing and account managers and sales executives.
Locate a Locum provides an on-demand online booking platform for the retail pharmacy sector across the UK.
It currently services over 8,000 pharmacies, including Boots, Superdrug, Well and Lloyds. The platform has over 12,000 registered locum pharmacists, which represents the largest pool of locum pharmacists in the UK.
Having added automated payment functionality, the company is now investing in new product development to diversify its product offering across the healthcare market to include health and social care workers, opticians and dentists.
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Jonny Clarke, CEO and founder of Locate a Locum said: “Innovation is crucial to the growth of our business. This latest investment in automated payment functionality through our end-to-end workforce management platform is our most ambitious product development to date.
"Payments to locums are still processed manually so there is a gap in the market for a full service. The benefit of this is obvious, especially in the current times.
“Invest Northern Ireland’s support has been invaluable since we started out. We are already seeing success in the care home sector, and have secured multiple deals, such as with Inspired2Care in Londonderry.
“The new team members will help us to increase our capabilities so that we can bring the product to life and grow in new exports markets such as Canada, South Africa and Australia.”
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Invest NI has worked closely with Locate a Locum since 2017 and has offered business advice, as well as support for job creation, R&D and technical product assistance to develop its Locate a Locum product.
The company has also benefitted from leadership training on the Ignite NI Accelerator Programme and investment from Techstart NI, part of Invest NI’s Access to Finance portfolio.
This latest offer provides £233,045 of support towards R&D and the creation of the new jobs.
Dr Vicky Kell, Director of Innovation, Research and Development, Invest NI, said: “When we started working with Locate a Locum it had just two employees. Following our continued support, the company will now grow to a team of over 40 people.
"The jobs will also help to rebuild our local economy, contributing over £530,000 in additional annual salaries.”
Invest NI’s R&D support and Techstart NI are part financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014–2020.
RELATED: Locate a Locum: Belfast firm creates six new jobs with £1m funding (November 2019)
Source: Written from press release
