InterTradeIreland has launched NEW Covid-19 programme supports to help your business through these challenging times. Cross-border companies in manufacturing and tradable services can avail of fully funded professional advice, to the value of £2,000/€2,250 inc VAT, to address key business challenges related to Covid-19 through the Emergency Business Solutions Programme.

£2500/€2800 fully funded consultancy support  to help businesses develop online sales and eCommerce solutions is available through the E-Merge programme.

We also have a series of online webinars to help firms stay resilient during the crisis and plan for recovery as well as an online business collaboration platform.

As the Covid-19 pandemic disrupts every aspect of our working lives, InterTradeIreland’s All-Island Innovation Programme brings you a series of webinar masterclasses to strengthen SMEs that face disruption and uncertainty. These webinars will provide a blueprint for action and future business resilience.

Looking for investment in your company? Even during these uncertain times, investors are still out there, looking to back businesses just like yours. Our Seedcorn competition mirrors the real life investment process and can help you become investor ready with expert advice and feedback. Plus you could win a share of our €280k cash prize fund! Don’t miss out, apply by 1pm on Friday 29th May.

The bio-economy, put simply, is about driving sustainable value from natural resources. It’s a huge focus for countries around the globe, as they strive to address challenges around food security, energy security and climate change.  It represents a particularly good fit for this island, as it combines strength in agri-food with strengths in innovation and marine.  

Currently there is over €100 million of funding available from the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking- which is a public-private partnership funded by the EU.  InterTradeIreland, with its partners, will be hosting a free on-line information session about funding opportunities on 29 May.

The information session will also feature a virtual networking element, which will facilitate discussion around projects and setting up cross-border partnerships.

Shane O’Hanlon, InterTradeIreland’s Funding for Growth manager takes a look at how to hone your business plan to get it investor ready.

Attracting equity investors requires an accurate understanding of what the investor is looking for. You need to show them what makes your business different and why they should play a part in your success. This is where the business plan is key.

Fresh figures released this week by InterTradeIreland show cross-border trade reached an all-time high of €7.4bn/£6.5bn in 2018, despite uncertainty around Brexit.  This is also reflected in the findings of InterTradeIreland’s latest Business Monitor (Q4 2019), which illustrates over a third of firms in Northern Ireland buy from suppliers in Ireland. The economy remain positive – with the vast majority of firms either in growth mode (44 per cent) or stable (42 per cent).

Five businesses across the island have been awarded 'Exemplar' status for outstanding innovation by InterTradeIreland's FUSION programme.  The innovations include 3D printed replica hearts, smart defense robots as well as innovations in construction and textile manufacturing. For SMEs wanting to develop new products or processes, FUSION offers funding of up to £56,000/€67,900 for firms to partner with a research institution and a graduate project manager.

Are you an entrepreneur looking to secure investment? We will have venture capitalists, business angels and investors from across the island together in one room on Thursday 5th March in the Crowne Plaza Belfast. Come along and benefit from invaluable networking opportunities, get up-to-date with the current investment scene on the island, find out which sectors are expected to emerge and predictions of how things may look in 2030.

Find out more about €150,000 Innovation Project Funding available 

What you see as a problem, others could see as a solution”, that’s the advice from leading expert Professor Nuran Acur on why businesses should collaborate openly with partners and industry. In the third of the ‘Innovation Station’ podcast series, the award winning scholar shares insight and practical advice on how to unravel ‘ the collaboration conundrum’.

As we enter a new decade, small business owners will be looking for new opportunities and ways to increase sales and grow their business.

Exporting is one option to seriously consider as it can significantly help firms to increase turnover and enhance business performance. For a first-time exporter trading , Northern Ireland or  Ireland is the perfect place to begin, writes Alison Currie from InterTradeIreland. Here are ten useful tips to get you started.

We in InterTradeIreland are acutely aware of the many unprecedented challenges that now face businesses across the island as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and so in this month's ezine we want to highlight the key Covid 19 supports available to help your business through this crisis.  Stay safe and healthy!

Do you have a new product, process or service you want to develop? The Co-Innovate programme has up to €150k funding available to bring your idea to life as well as salary support to hire an expert to deliver the project.   Come along to one of our FREE information sessions in January and February to find out more.

FutureScope, the annual event where entrepreneurs, technology leaders and industry come together to explore the impact of emerging technologies on business returns to the Convention Centre Dublin on Wednesday, 1^st April 2020.  This one-day event will include keynotes exploring the implications of emerging technologies and how they will shape the business opportunities of the future; multiple panel discussions exploring the challenges and opportunities arising from IoT, smart cities, robotics, 5G, data analytics, VR/AR, artificial intelligence and more.

InterTradeIreland has developed a series of six webinars to help businesses navigate their way through the key supports that have been put in place in both jurisdictions in response to Covid-19.

The webinars, delivered by PKF-FPM on behalf of InterTradeIreland, will take place on 6th,15th and 22nd May for NI firms and on 7th,14th and 21st May for firms in Ireland.  The events will focus on: 

• Government Covid-19 Supports
• Cashflow mgt and funding
• Planning for recovery

Companies aiming to help healthcare responses to the Covid-19 crisis can now collaborate via a new online platform. Spearheaded by InterTradeIreland and TechIreland, the cross-border platform allows businesses to see quickly, in and beyond their region, who they can work with to combat the many supply chain and manufacturing challenges generated by the pandemic and meet pressing public need.

InterTradeIreland is aware of the huge impact and challenges which the Covid-19 pandemic has caused for your business.  We want to be able to help and to tailor our supports if necessary.  To do so it is important that we have up to date information which can inform our supports and wider policy decisions on supports for business.  We would therefore really appreciate it if you could take two minutes to complete the short survey below.