Connect and Grow Programme

Grow and develop yourself and your business by working with other business leaders

The Department for the Economy is seeking business owners or senior decision-makers to participate in the pilot of the Connect and Grow peer network. The Connect and Grow programme will bring together small, diverse groups of business leaders, with professional facilitation, to discuss and work together to address real-world issues impacting their businesses within the broad theme of business growth and entering new markets. 

The programme is open to all leaders/senior decision makers of micro-businesses and small to medium size businesses (those with less than 250 employees) based in Northern Ireland with an aspiration to grow their business, the potential to scale up or the potential to trade in new markets. 

Participation is free - all it takes is a few hours of your time each month. Participants will be asked to commit to attending each session, to contribute openly and honestly, and to take any actions agreed upon during the sessions and share any learning with the group. 

How you and your business can benefit from Connect and Grow peer group support:

• Collaborate with other business owners and decision-makers to find solutions to common business challenges and identify, and act on, new opportunities.
• Improve your long-term personal and business performance.
• Build a trusted network of connections to support you now and in the future.
• Receive signposting to other relevant existing and available support.
• You will not be placed in a group with any competitors, so you can safely share your expertise and benefit from others.

The Connect and Grow peer groups format:

• Schedule: The facilitator will hold An introductory one-to-one meeting with each group member remotely to discuss current challenges and goals. Groups will then meet five times (fortnightly over 10 weeks), with each session taking place in person and lasting no more than two hours. The Connect and Grow peer group support is scheduled to begin in August 2023.
• Location: Group sessions will be held in person, with two separate peer groups operating, one located in the Derry/Londonderry area and one within the greater Belfast area.
• The group: Led by a professional facilitator, each group will bring together up to 12 business owners or senior decision-makers to work together to address real-world issues impacting their businesses within the broad theme of business growth and entering new markets.
• Content: During sessions, the facilitator will use action learning to lead participants to collaboratively work through common business issues and discuss their own challenges. Through interactive action learning, participants can share and discuss their own challenges alongside their peers, gain and reflect on valuable feedback and implement practical solutions to overcome them. Areas for discussion may include marketing strategy, social media or entering new markets.
• Participant's commitment: All participants are requested to attend and actively engage in the full set of five group sessions. Participants must be willing to openly explore business opportunities and issues within a group environment and contribute to the success of others.

How to apply

Applications to participate in Connect and Grow can be made by completing the brief application form.

For further enquiries please contact connectandgrow@economy-ni.gov.uk.

First published 31 May 2023.