Innovate UK EDGE Northern Ireland
Innovate UK EDGE, formerly known as Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), is the UK innovation agency’s resource for innovative SMEs from any sector which are ambitious to grow and scale.
Although the UK has left the European Union, Innovate UK EDGE provides businesses with all the benefits associated with EEN, including access to international networks and innovation and growth experts.
Invest NI hosts Innovate UK Edge in Northern Ireland; our advisors can be a mentor, critical friend, and champion to innovative businesses, enabling you to grow and scale.
We can help you access support from Innovate UK EDGE including one-to-one mentoring, peer-to-peer networks, brokerage events, partnership opportunities and programmes such as the Global Business Innovation and Global Incubator programmes.
We can help ambitious businesses:
- Implement effective innovation management processes
- Access funding and finance
- Enter new markets
- Accelerate growth
- Achieve rapid commercialisation and scaling
Mentoring support
Innovative businesses can access five days of fully funded coaching and mentoring support to help managers identify and overcome pain points and barriers to commercialisation or growth.
Our mentoring support will help answer your questions such as:
- I have an innovative business idea that I'd like to explore - can you help me?
Yes. There are a number of steps you need to take to implement a good business idea. We can help you select, test, develop and commercialise your best ideas so that your business can create value for you and your customers. - I have technical knowledge, but I'm not an experienced business person. How can I turn my idea into a business?
We can walk you through this process in a focused workshop session where you can learn to test different strategies and develop new business models. - Where can I get up-to-date market information for my business idea and research its potential?
We can help you access the latest market information and insights through our Business Information Centre. - Is it possible to work with another organisation to develop my product or service?
Partnership and collaboration is common when developing products and services. Through our international networks we can search for contacts for you. - Is there any funding or support available to help me develop my idea or project?
Yes. There are many different funding streams available locally, nationally and internationally. We can help to find the best support for your needs.
Who is eligible?
This support is available to all businesses in Northern Ireland.
How to apply?
To find out more about Innovate UK EDGE Northern Ireland and how it can help your business, visit the Innovate UK EDGE website alternatively call our Business Support Team on 0800 181 4422 or fill in the online enquiry form