Programme set to connect local businesses with global networks

Two Cork businesses are to be given the chance of travelling to San Francisco for a tailored business development programme in Cork’s twin city.

The two successful applicants will be provided a support package valued at €10,000, including return flights and accommodation in San Francisco for one entrepreneur.

The Cork San Francisco Innovation Exchange will consist of business introductions, networking opportunities, and ecosystem engagement, in what a spokesperson for the programme called “one of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems”.

Rodney Fong, President and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce said that city “value strong international innovation partnerships and we are delighted to support this collaboration with Cork”.

Each of the successful applicants will also receive a complimentary one-year membership of Cork Chamber of Commerce.

Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber of Commerce, said the initiative is an “important step forward in delivering tangible opportunities for innovative Cork businesses to gain an understanding of the San Francisco and Bay Area business environment”.

The programme was developed in partnership between Cork City Council, Cork Chamber of Commerce, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Consulate in San Francisco, and the Cork San Francisco Sister City Committee. Successful applicants must be located within the Cork City Council area, and have been trading for at least 12 months before the closing date for applications. They must have an established brand, product, service, or technology offering, and be able to demonstrate evidence of customer validation, commercial tradition, or market adoption.

They must also have a clearly defined competitive advantage, innovation or a market differentiator, and demonstrate an ambition and capacity to scale nationally or internationally. The successful applicant will also demonstrate a willingness to participate in mentoring, training, and business support programmes delivered by Cork City Council’s Local Enterprise Office and programme partners.

Dr Niall O’Keefe, Head of Enterprise at the Cork City Council Local Enterprise Office said the programme would “connect ambitious local businesses with global networks and opportunities while supporting our broader ambition to make Cork an even stronger place to start, grow and scale innovative enterprise”.

Applications for the programme opened on 19 June and will close on 28 August, with the successful applicants expected to travel to San Francisco in 2027.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.