“CREATE” Kilkenny – Grow Your Creative Business 2026 - Seeking Expressions of Interest 

The Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny in conjunction with the newly established Kilkenny Craft Guild are seeking expressions of interest from potential participants for the "CREATE” Kilkenny – Grow Your Creative Business 2026. This tailored programme will consist of a series of half day workshops and individual one-to-one mentoring. 

The fee for participants is €30 - link will be forwarded to participants once there are accepted on the programme. 

The “CREATE Kilkenny” programme has been developed to support relatively new and emerging creative businesses that to get to the ‘next level’ commercially; who want to inject fresh ideas and approaches to product development, branding and sales. Boost your business ambition with design led and trade focused workshops specifically for the creative sector. This programme is designed to give you the tools to brand and sell your current work; to make you consider new products/ranges and suggest strategies to Grow your Creative business. 

The overall objective of the programme is to develop a collective retail, consumer and or a trade event under the Create Kilkenny initiative to directly employ the concepts and training delivered via the 4-half day workshop and in mentoring. 

Workshop 1. Sales & Consumer Motivation in Gift, Craft & Design Purchases.
Date & Time: Tuesday 14th April, 2026. 9:30am to 1:30pm in 11 Patrick Street, adjacent to the Pembroke Hotel, Kilkenny (in-person workshop) 

Workshop 2. ‘Finances & Craft, Costing, pricing, markup, retailer margin and VAT
Date & Time: Tuesday 28th April, 2026. 9:30am to 1:00pm via zoom, delivered online.

Workshop 3: Branding, packaging, labelling, and Display Principles.
Date & Time: Wednesday 13th May, 2026. 9:30am to 1:00pm via zoom, delivered online.

Workshop 4: ‘The Next Steps to Growth and Sales’.
Date & Time: Tuesday 26th May, 2026. 9:30am to 1:30pm in 11 Patrick Street, adjacent to the Pembroke Hotel, Kilkenny (in-person workshop) 

The programme is confined to participants based in County Kilkenny and places are limited.