DUBLIN: Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce has launched a new support initiative that it said will help businesses grow domestically and through exports. The Learn Grow Excel scheme is resourced entirely by the private sector.
Participants in the scheme will be offered various opportunities which will allow them to meet buyers, learn from exporters, secure export orders, expand networks and learn how to scale up.
They’ll also take part in near market trade visits and attend an export-led business conference in Belfast next year.
The chamber launched the scheme at Kingspan Stadium along with its SME partner Power NI. Other partners include Bank of Ireland UK, Danske Bank, First Trust Bank, HSBC, Ulster Bank and Ulster Carpets.
Chamber president Nick Coburn said the initiative was in response to the Department for the Ecomony’s export matters action plan which targeted growing the value of sales outside Northern by 33 per cent before 2020 and 80 per cent by 2025.
“Through our current pioneering programmes such as Danske Bank Export First and Connecting for Growth in partnership with Bank of Ireland UK, NI Chamber has demonstrated that experienced exporters from the private sector can contribute to achieving these targets by sharing their experience, their expertise and their networks,” he said.
“Our new Learn Grow Excel initiative, in partnership with a number of select organisations, has been designed to support growing companies at every stage of development and encourage more export activity in Northern Ireland. It demonstrates that the private sector has a key role to play in the creation of a strong, competitive, regionally balanced economy.
“Whether companies are in the early stages of growth, starting out in new markets, or interested in scaling-up and expanding into additional export markets, the portfolio of programmes has something for every level of business. The only pre-requisites are the potential and commitment of businesses to grow in exports and a determination to succeed.”
Economy minister Simon Hamilton said growing exports was a “critical element in creating an increasingly outward looking, globally competitive economy”.
Addressing the more than 150 delegates at the launch, Mr Hamilton said: “It is encouraging to learn that we were the only part of the United Kingdom to record an increase in exports in the last quarter.
“I recognise that growing Northern Ireland’s external sales and exports requires a joined up effort led by companies supported by Invest NI and the NI Chamber of Commerce.
“As well as Export Matters I am developing an international trade plan which will include a trade advisory board and trade ambassadors to assist us in our efforts to open up new markets. There are many new opportunities globally and we need ambition, confidence and self-belief to grasp these.”
