UK government invests £17m in new Northern Ireland Enterprise Support Service encouraging business owners to ‘Go Succeed’

A major new Enterprise Support Service for Northern Ireland - ‘Go Succeed’ – has officially been launched kickstarting this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Funded by the UK government and powered by their Levelling Up Fund, Go Succeed represents a multi-million-pound investment in local entrepreneurs and businesses. It will provide a holistic approach to government support services with a greater focus on providing a tailored service to suit individual needs in a bid to foster enterprise across the region.

Promising to support entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses across Northern Ireland, Go Succeed offers easy-to-access advice and support at every stage of their growth journey.

Led by Northern Ireland’s 11 local Councils, the service will deliver flexible support to service users, including mentoring, masterclasses, peer networks, access to grant funding and a business plan.

Speaking on behalf of all 11 councils delivering the new service, John Walsh, chief executive of Belfast City Council, said: “The Department for the Economy’s ‘10X Economy’ – an economic vision for a decade of innovation - outlines how SMEs can play a vital role in developing the success of Northern Ireland as a competitive economy.“Go Succeed directly supports this goal – targeting potential entrepreneurs, new starts and existing small businesses and providing them with flexible, tailored and easily accessible advice and support at all stages of their journey to help them grow and, in turn, create new jobs and opportunities for residents.

“By working together across all our council areas, we hope to embed Northern Ireland’s position as an innovative and growing hub for business and as a great place to live, visit, work, study and invest.”

The new service has been informed by research undertaken by a range of expertise in the field of enterprise development who provided solutions on the types of interventions that might be required to ‘move the dial’ for the Northern Ireland local economy relating to levels of business start-ups, productivity, access to innovation and levels of export. These recommendations provided the foundation for the new service, Go Succeed.

Dr Pragya Sharma, a medical biochemist and founder of and director of Gran Lab, who took part in a panel discussion at the launch event, said:

“I am honoured to play a part in the launch of Go Succeed. It will without doubt offer every interested business the key to success. No matter what stage you are at - whether you are an entrepreneur with a business idea, or you’re a start-up, or have an established business you’d like to grow, Go Succeed can help. It is a very exciting time for the business community of Northern Ireland.”

Gran Lab specialises in making steroid-free, colour-inclusive formulations to treat the symptoms of psoriasis and eczema.

From Tuesday, November 14, a series of regional information workshops will be held in each Council area, as below:

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, November 27, 12pm to 1pm at Craigavon Civic Centre

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, November 16, 10:30am to 12pm at Bann Gallery, Civic Headquarters in Coleraine

Derry City and Strabane District Council, November 30, 10am -12pm at The Playhouse

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, November 30, 9am to 11am at Strule Arts Centre in Omagh

Lisburn Castlereagh Council, November 28 at Lagan Valley Island Lisburn

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Novembe 17, 10:30am to 1:00pm at Hillmount House in Larne

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, November 14, 5:30pm to 7pm at Killeavy Caste Estate.