Apply for the Graduate to Export programme

5 February 2019

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Expand your business overseas with the Graduate to Export programme

If you want to expand your business overseas, the Invest NI Graduate to Export programme can provide the support to achieve this growth.

The Graduate to Export programme aims to help companies with their ambitious growth plans by providing financial support to employ a graduate for 18 months to take forward a market research project that targets a specific market outside Northern Ireland.

How does it work?

If your application is successful, you will receive salary support to employ the graduate of 50% (up to a maximum of £18,000 for the eighteen month programme) and export skills training and mentorship for the graduate provided by Ulster University and the Institute of Export.

Graduates spend the first six months of the programme in Northern Ireland getting to know your business and starting the training programme. The following 12 months are spent in the export market undertaking the market research project with full support from your company, along with academic and company mentors.

How it will benefit your company?

At the end of the 18 month programme period your company will have:

• Secured a deep understanding of the target export market
• Received a comprehensive market research project / market entry plan for a target market outside Northern Ireland
• The opportunity to identify a high calibre graduate, paving the way for the future talent of your business

Is your company eligible?

The programme is open to Invest NI customers who:

• Can clearly identify a specific market research project that is aligned to the company’s strategic marketing plan. This must be either a new product or service in a new market, an existing product / service in a new market or a new product / service in an existing market
• Are undertaking a market research project / market entry plan for a target market outside of Northern Ireland. Projects based in Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland are eligible under this programme
• Can demonstrate that the project is sufficient to require the creation of an entry level graduate
• Can demonstrate that they have the commitment and resources to participate fully in the programme
• Have appropriate infrastructure in the target market to support the graduate whilst they are overseas

Whilst this programme is targeted at SMEs, large companies may also apply.

Find out more and apply for the Graduate to Export programme.