Enterprise Northern Ireland (ENI) has long been a cornerstone of entrepreneurial growth in Northern Ireland. Through its network of Local Enterprise Agencies (LEAs), ENI provides essential support to aspiring business owners. However, it faced some challenges when seeking to scale their support to help more entrepreneurs than ever before. Such as. fragmented systems with each LEA using separate Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, limited access to support services constrained by traditional working hours, and an inability to leverage data for strategic decision-making.
These issues underscored the need for a unified, modern solution to empower entrepreneurs and streamline their service delivery operations. Partnering with Startium, ENI launched eConX, a fully-bespoke, Northern Ireland specific, software platform designed to transform the delivery of entrepreneurial support across NI.
eConX was developed in partnership with Startium to address these challenges head-on. The platform serves as a unified, 24/7 single digital access point for all LEA services. By consolidating the functionality of several CRM systems and SaaS tools previously needed for service delivery, into a centralised and shared platform, eConX streamlines programme management and improves service delivery.
Entrepreneurs now benefit from enhanced accessibility to support provided by the LEA network and wider entrepreneurial ecosystem, with access to such resources and support anytime, anywhere. Underpinning the platform is a strong focus on data, that will enable comprehensive analytics and insights, while the consolidation of tools reduces costs and optimises workflows.
Startium worked closely with Enterprise NI, local enterprise agencies, and entrepreneurs to understand their needs from day one. The strength of this collaborative approach to design, development and launch, ensured a smooth, phased rollout supported by an integrated help centre and tailored training.
A nationwide roadshow of training events and workshops provided hands-on guidance, fostered user confidence, and captured valuable feedback, all while showcasing the enthusiasm and commitment of stakeholders. This approach not only ensured seamless integration but empowered users to maximise the platform’s potential from day one.
“Working with Startium has enabled us to invest in a long-term digital transformation programme across our network of Local Enterprise Agencies. The implementation of ‘eConX’ will ensure entrepreneurs and local businesses will have active, bespoke connectivity across the NI regional enterprise support ecosystem and ensures we can offer them the right support at the right time. Startium’s rich expertise in developing technology that aids entrepreneurship development has helped to significantly raise our ambitions on how we can utilise technology going forward to provide a world-class business support service.”
Building on the success of phase one, phase two of the eConX project will expand the platform’s capabilities to drive even greater impact. This phase focuses on enhancing data-driven decision-making by integrating advanced analytics tools, enabling LEAs to identify trends, predict needs, and tailor their services more effectively.
Additionally, phase two will introduce new features aimed at fostering collaboration across the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem. These developments reflect Startium and ENI’s commitment to continuous innovation and ensuring eConX evolves to meet the dynamic needs of Northern Ireland’s entrepreneurial community.
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