Building Craft and Design Enterprise Programme 2023

We are looking for ambitious Craft and Design based enterprises that want to inject new ideas and approaches to product development into their practice. Boost your product into the market through a series of design led workshops.

Building Craft and Design Enterprise Programme

Over the course of seven months you will undertake:

• Research mission to a London trade show & retail visits.
• Enhance your design and product.
• Brand your product effectively.
• Cost and promote your product in the marketplace.
• 8 days training.
• Bespoke 1-to-1 mentoring sessions.
• Considered for a stand/virtual stand in the Enterprise Zone of Showcase Ireland 2024.

Workshops to include

1. Introduction to the BCDE programme, your enterprise, your craft and design brand, first steps:

2. Website audit & optimisation including:

• 1-to-1 web audits for your business.

3. Design & Business Trends in changing times, focusing in on significant skills of:

• The tools to self-audit and future plan.
• Understand current market and design trends.
• Develop a leaner business model.
• The ability to recognise and respond to current opportunities in the market.
• Be stimulated to enhance design and product presentation.
• Brand product effectively.

4. Product Development Part 1:

• How do you approach making - do you think design, function, form?
• Building on your successes.
• Who are your customers?
• How do you present your work?
• Production planning/ Time management.

5.  My Business Structure and Organisation:

• Ten steps to good business practice.

6. Costing and Pricing - my design and production:

• Achieving accuracy for profitability.
• Defining how much your customer is willing to pay.
• Getting your margins right.

Product Development Part 2

• The 1-to-1 clinics are a follow up from the Product Development Part 1 segment of the programme and will assess inspiration from the London Trip.
• The clinics are a focused one-to-one session and include an audit and review of current product offerings and provide the opportunity to engage and discuss new and developing work. Thereby generating an individual action plan of key achievable tasks to be undertaken to improve the viability of product or R&D of alternative products.    

7. Website Audit and Optimisation: Part 2:

• Workshop with web audits for your individual business.

8. Effective use of Social Media - PR & Sales:

National and International trade shows virtual and brick and mortar planning a strategy.

• Effective use of social media for PR.
• The designers perspective, presentations and Q&A.
• Steps to selling on social media.

National Certificate Presentation.

9. London / International Research

• An accompanied research trip to London with on-the-ground retail focus suitable to business profiles.
• Opportunity to network with Craft & Design business from other LEOs.

Covid-19 permitting.

What Can I Expect To Gain From This Programme?

• Awareness of future trends.
• A move towards new products/ranges for launch.
• Tools you can use for future product development.
• Strategies for getting your product to market.

The fee to participate is 50 euros and the programme is heavily subsidised.

Start Date: TBC

Closing date for submissions: TBC

To apply, please Register your Interest and further information will be provided to you once it becomes available.