Starting up, up and away

In our business we’re lucky to work with some of Northern Ireland’s largest employers and top 100 companies, Moy Park, Asda and Dale Farm to drop a few names. We’re also lucky to be in a position to work with some of the most exciting, innovative young businesses emerging on the local start-up scene.  Invest Northern Ireland’s Propel, now calling for 2014/15 applications, is an annual programme aimed at fast tracking high growth potential, export focussed start-ups. In the past three years, we’ve helped tell the story of some of the participating entrepreneurs or ‘Propellers’ as they’re affectionately known.. from Lucy Annabella Organics, an organic beauty range developed by Colleen Harte of County Tyrone, now available in the UK, Ireland and Europe, to Plotbox, Leona McAllister’s online tool aimed at revolutionalising the way we research our family history.

The current Propel participants include, among others, Keen, a natural nut butter business based in Bangor that we're all nutty about; Indigo Ivy, a fashion label from Doagh that's putting tweed on trend; Islander Kelp, a fresh kelp producer off the coast of beautiful Rathlin Island; a luxury handmade wooden homeware business Harch Wood Couture and Little Deli, an app that hopes to make queuing for lunch a thing of the past (we're all for that!)

With such diverse talent in the mix, we’re excited to see what innovative new business ideas make it through to Propel 2014/15. And with big futures ahead, we’ll always be proud to say ‘we knew them when they were starting out!’

If you believe your business idea has what it takes to go global, check out www.investni.com/propel

Orlagh McVeigh of Harch Wood Couture, current participant on Invest NI's Propel Programme, with Invest NI's Niall Casey

Previous 'Propellers' Explain the benefits of the Invest NI Propel Programme

We have just completed a short video to showcase the benefits of the Invest Northern Ireland Propel Programme and hear directly from a number of previous participants on why they would recommend it to would be entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that have export potential. The deadline for applications for the 2013 intake is 22nd January and you can find out more at www.propelprogramme.com

Propelling Entrepreneurship Forward

We are delighted to be supporting the promotion of the excellent Invest Northern Ireland Propel programme again, working alongside the delivery agents, Xcell Partners. The programme is now inviting applications for its 2013 intake and is designed for entrepreneurs with business ideas that have the potential to scale up and reach significant export growth. It has already helped over 30 local entrepreneurs to set up and grow successful businesses based on innovative ideas, products and technology.

In launching the call for new applicants, we were delighted to be joined by previous programme participants Janette O’Hagan co-founder and CEO of Okotech, which has developed an innovative, wireless heating control system called heatboss®, and Fergus Wallace, founder of www.mygripzone.com an online interactive golf coaching aid - both excellent examples of the innovation excellence we need to encourage  in Northern Ireland.

To launch the 2013 Propel programme and outline how it can help turn an idea into a globally focused business, Invest NI is running five regional awareness seminars during w/c 10th December in Newry, Omagh, Londonderry, Ballymena and Belfast. For more information on the programme visit www.propelprogramme.com or to register for the events, go to www.investni.com/events

Life Through a Lens

The past few months have been busy for our AV Team. They have been involved in some fantastic projects - they rubbed shoulders with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall when the royal couple visited Irwin's Bakery as part of a special two day visit to NI, took a golf lesson from Mr. Caddyshack himself, Bill Murray at the Irish Open and completed work for a variety of organisations from across a diverse range of NI business sectors. Some of the highlights have included:

The production of a fast paced promotional film for the NI Defence Industry. Commissioned by Invest Northern Ireland, the DVD showcases the advanced skills we have to offer this specialist sector in the likes of manufacturing, innovation and exports. The film was shown to a select group of stakeholders at a special screening hosted in the Houses of Parliament.



We've also been re-commissioned by Queen's University to work on 'Season 2' of its highly successful innovation series. Filming is well underway and some of the projects that will be captured are quiet simply amazing. For a flavour of things to come why not check out Season 1