InterTradeIreland- Information on Business Funding and Support

 Please see below useful information regarding business funding and support that is currenly available through InterTradeIreland.

Elevate - Sales Development Programme for Small Business
If you’re a small company that needs to increase its sales, why not take your business up a level with InterTradeIreland Elevate - our NEW sales development programme for small business.

Industry and Trade/Marketing experts will work with you on a one-to-one basis to develop and implement a sales plan for your business, kick-start your sales and help you to get on the fast track to cross-border trading.

The programme consists of two stages:

• An assessment of your readiness to enter the new market
• Practical assistance towards winning sales

The following type of support is likely to be available:

• Identification of Sales leads
• Sales Negotiations
• Market Research
• Advice on the Development of Marketing Materials – (excluding printing costs).

It is 100% funded by InterTradeIreland and the application process is very simple.

All you have to do is complete a short application form and we will fund up to £10k/€11K worth of advice and assistance from your chosen industry or trade/marketing expert.  

Benefits

• Work with an industry or trade/marketing expert to develop your winning sales plan;
• Identify new customers and markets across the island;
• Increase your sales.

Am I eligible?

To take part in the Elevate programme - companies must:

• Be registered in Northern Ireland or Ireland;
• Be a manufacturing or tradeable service company with an annual turnover below €1.2m/£1m;
• Have a satisfactory track record and a trading history in their home market (minimum of 18 mths);
• Be focused on winning new cross-border sales;
• Have not generated more than 30% of their total turnover in the target cross-border market;
• Have the capacity (human, financial and production) to deliver the project;
• Have a sufficiently unique product that does not displace existing products in the market place.

NOTE: Preference will be given to companies of 10 employees or less and spaces are limited.

Acumen

Sales and Marketing Programme

About the Programme

InterTradeIreland Acumen, our sales & marketing programme aims to help SMEs to grow their business on the island of Ireland by targeting new cross-border markets.

We offer four business support options:

• Market Research
• Full Time Sales Person
• Part Time Sales Person
• Sales Graduate programme

InterTradeIreland Acumen can source the right people to help you increase your export sales North or South, improve your knowledge of the market and identify new business opportunities.

Benefits
Typical benefits as a result of the programme include:

• Access to new markets and increased sales
• Better knowledge of the cross-border market
• New business opportunities identified
• Improvements to your sales and marketing strategy
• Increased business contacts and prospects across the island
• 
   Am I eligible?
• To qualify for financial support through our Acumen programme ideally your business should be:

• A manufacturing or a tradable service company with an annual turnover below £40 million (or euro equivalent)
• A company that employs less than 250 people
• An indigenous company (not multinational or foreign owned)
• Committed to the development of new product markets with the potential of job creation
• A company with an established relationship with a mainstream development agency (Invest Northern Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, City or County Enterprise Board, a Local Enterprise Agency)
  
• In addition, you should also have:

• A satisfactory track record in your home market
• Less than 30% of total business in the target cross-border market already
• A sufficiently unique product that does not displace existing products in the marketplace
• A project that can demonstrate that it may not happen without support
• The capacity (human, financial & production) to deliver the project