Startacus and Young Enterprise NI launch Exporting Founders programme

by Startacus Admin
Exporting Founders is a new 12-week startup programme for NI-based early stage entrepreneurs, facilitated by Startacus, in partnership with Young Enterprise NI.
Startacus, in partnership with Young Enterprise NI have launched Exporting Founders, a programme targeted at early stage entrepreneurs aged 18-30 across Northern Ireland, seeking to educate and inform those developing their business ideas about the benefits of an international market for their business.
This pilot programme aims to provide founders and potential founders with the knowledge to start, grow and sustain a business and create relevant business connections and pathways to build a route into developing a business that includes cross border and international trade as part of their initial plan.
It builds on the success of the NW female-focused Impacting Founders initiative which the Startacus and Young Enterprise NI teams ran previously which connected early stage female founders with business specialists and support networks.
Alastair Cameron, Co-Founder of Startacus said “Startacus is delighted to be collaborating with Young Enterprise NI once again, following the success of the Impacting Founders programme. We are keen to ensure that the Exporting Founders programme will provide early-stage startups and indeed anyone considering starting a business in NI, with the skills, knowledge and connections to make cross-border and international trade a core part of their business strategy.”
Carol Fitzsimons MBE, CEO of Young Enterprise continues, “the Young Enterprise charity is well known for our work in schools to develop entrepreneurial intent, and this programme is built to build on this foundation. We recognise that those early in their entrepreneurial journey, whether alumni of our programmes or not, value additional support to build their network and gain knowledge on important topics such as export, before they start their business”.
Speaking at the programme launch at Clockwise Belfast, Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said, “I am excited to launch this pilot with Young Enterprise and Startacus. The initiative connects well with my Department’s 10X Skills Strategy by seeking to create a culture of lifelong learning in our young people that have entrepreneurial intent, and supporting them to drive economic growth. Having met with some Young Enterprise alumni today, I can see the value in investing in the development of the entrepreneurs of the future through developing their skills at an early stage. I am keen to ensure that we continue to promote business start-ups within the NI market but also, as this pilot does, to equip them with the skills to trade internationally.”
Raising awareness of wider links with other business networks is a key component to provide long lasting support networks that the founders can pathway into.
Interested in finding out more or wish to apply? You can do just that via https://www.exportingfounders.com/2022 !
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Published on: 16th November 2021
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