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Application for the Accelerator Programme is now open

Closing Date 06.03.2025
Posted 23.01.2025
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Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) officially launched the second year of the Design & Craft Accelerator programme in partnership with Portal, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) at Showcase – Ireland’s International Creative Expo® in the RDS, Dublin.

Closing date for completed applications is 17:00hrs on Thursday, the 06th March 2025.

What is the Accelerator Programme?

The Accelerator Programme in partnership with Portal, Trinity College Dublin provides support to SMEs with strong international export potential across areas including growth, development, international market launches, customer engagement, acquisition, and marketing and sales.

Accelerator Objectives

Ten (10) companies will be invited to participate in a programme that will assist diverse, multi-sectoral entrepreneurs develop viable business models and business plans and then quickly translate those plans into concrete and scalable value propositions. Our shared ambition is to see more Irish companies competing for business on the international stage.

Programme Overview – Phase 1

  • The Accelerator will run for 7 months (March- October 2025) with teams given time to develop their propositions between intense bouts of workshop, peer to peer activity.
  • Each of the ten participating companies will receive €5,000 during the course of the programme.
  • Mentoring will focus on their activities as they relate to growing their business and launch their solutions into international markets.
  • Mentoring will ensure that they are grounded in best practice and informed by policy, supports and business practitioners. This stage will culminate in a mid-programme pitch to evaluate progress to date and to help us prepare businesses to focus on their most immediate developmental concerns in the coming months.
  • At the conclusion of this phase, companies will have:
  • A commercialisation roadmap
  • Identified critical commercial beachheads.
  • Perfected the Art of the Pitch
  • Learned How to Sell!
  • Created a credible and re-useable Business Model Canvas
  • Stand over robust financials

Programme Overview – Phase 2

  • After a short summer break, we return to focus on the hard commercial and investment propositions of the companies involved. We will address needs around customer engagement and acquisition, marketing and sales and the continued development of a robust commercial value proposition with significant international sales potential.
  • Each company will receive up to (5) hours of individual coaching per month.
  • As contributors will be sourced internationally in addition to Ireland, support will be provided for remote access to workshops and mentoring sessions.
  • The mentoring will also focus on their activities as it relates to the sustainability of design and manufacture to ensure it is grounded in best practice and informed by policy and business practitioners, and where necessary broker introductions.

Opportunities & Funding

Search below to see both DCCI and industry
opportunities for your business and career
development.

Upcoming Deadlines