ID 5449059 - Invest NI - Graduate to Export Development programme

Invest NI’s Graduate to Export Development Programme (G2E Programme) launched in February 2019, and targets SMEs in Northern Ireland to help expand their business internationally with the assistance of a supported graduate. As part of the programme, participating companies will develop their international business capabilities, gained from having a dedicated market research resource and on completion of the graduate intervention, they will have an export development / market entry plan for their chosen market.

The Programme, in turn, will provide graduates with a valuable opportunity to gain practical experience and business skills in international business development in addition to obtain academic qualifications. Invest NI is seeking to engage a Contractor for the development, delivery, and management of future G2E cohorts with an anticipated launch date of March/April 2025.

The Contractor shall design and deliver a Post Graduate Diploma for participating graduates which will have a commercial focus and a meaningful accreditation focusing on global best practice in international business development. The Contractor shall also work with the participating companies to assist them develop / refine their market research projects and oversee their execution by the programme graduates.

The completion of these projects by the graduates should be a prerequisite of academic accreditation. The G2E Programme will comprise of up to 3 cohorts of 201 graduates per cohort all of whom are employed by Invest NI client companies (primarily SME’s).

It is anticipated that the contract will be for an initial period of 5 years with each cohort lasting 18 months. Invest NI reserve the option to extend the contract for a further period of 12 months. Each cohort is subject to budgetary approval and to satisfactory Contractor performance.