Enterprise Northern Ireland

One front door for a regional network

Enterprise Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab) (ENI) represents the region's Local Enterprise Agencies (LEAs) and has long been a cornerstone of entrepreneurial growth in Northern Ireland. To help more entrepreneurs than ever before, it needed to move beyond separate CRM systems, office-hours access and data it could not use for strategy. Working with Startium, ENI launched eConX, a fully bespoke, Northern Ireland specific platform that gives entrepreneurs one 24/7 digital front door to every LEA service and the wider enterprise support ecosystem.

Fragmented systems limit how far support can reach

Entrepreneurs face challenges and need advice every day, whether they are starting up or scaling. Finding the right support at the right time can be difficult and frustrating, especially when help is spread across many organisations, each with its own processes, opening hours and points of contact.

For ENI, the issue sat behind the scenes. Each LEA used its own Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool and property management systems, so information about entrepreneurs and the support they received was split across separate systems. Access to services was largely constrained by traditional working hours, and ENI had no reliable way to use data for strategic decision-making across the network.

Many agencies, many tools, one ambition

ENI's network is made up of 26 Local Enterprise Agencies, each serving its own local businesses and tenants. Any new system had to work for every one of them without disrupting the support entrepreneurs already relied on.

Service delivery depended on several CRM systems and SaaS tools, which added cost and made programme management harder to coordinate. Replacing them meant consolidating that functionality into a single shared platform that each agency could still use in its own way.

The ambition was also larger than a systems upgrade. ENI wanted a long-term digital transformation programme that would connect entrepreneurs to the whole regional ecosystem, not just to their nearest agency, and produce data that could inform policy and smarter support.

A bespoke platform built with the network

ENI partnered with Startium to develop eConX, building on Startium's expertise in technology for entrepreneurship development. The platform serves as a unified, 24/7 single digital access point for all LEA services, consolidating the functionality of the CRM systems and SaaS tools previously needed to manage clients, property and lending services into one centralised, shared platform.

Startium worked closely with ENI, the LEAs and entrepreneurs from day one to understand their needs. That collaborative approach to design, development and launch supported a smooth, phased rollout, backed by an integrated help centre and tailored training. A nationwide roadshow of training events and workshops gave users hands-on guidance, built their confidence and captured valuable feedback.

Working with Startium has enabled us to invest in a long-term digital transformation programme across our network of Local Enterprise Agencies. 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.

The right support at the right time

eConX blends digital and in-person support, so each group in the ecosystem gets what it needs from the same platform.

For entrepreneurs: tailored support, any time

On the eConX platform, a personalised dashboard gives clear recommendations and suggested ‘highest leverage moves’ matched to each entrepreneur's profile and activity, whether they are planning, hiring, exporting, scaling or exiting. They can build a personal library of tutorials, templates and tools, request introductions to the right expert through self-referrals, find local events and workspace, and manage appointments with their assigned business advisor, including meeting notes and resources curated during each meeting.

For Local Enterprise Agencies: one shared platform

LEAs support their tenants and locally connected businesses with simple, streamlined digital and in-person tools. Consolidating several systems into one shared platform streamlines programme management, property management, impact reporting and lending. It reduces costs and optimises workflows, while the help centre and training keep staff confident using it.

For ENI and stakeholders: data that drives decisions

Underpinning eConX is a strong focus on data. Real-time insight gives government and enterprise stakeholders a clear picture of entrepreneurial activity across the region, informing better policy and smarter support. This provides ENI with influence and value that can be offered to the local ecosystem, helping to predict needs and tailor support services, providing insights that foster collaboration across the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Built for connected support networks

This model suits you if you are a lead or funder of a service that is delivered by multiple partners. It allows each delivery partner to have their own suite of tools and secure operating system, while feeding live data to a centralised dashboard providing real-time insights on activity and ROI.

ENI uses Governance Mode, built for lead organisations or funders, offering a branded service but delivered by multiple stakeholders who need their own ring-fenced operating system and data governance. If you deliver programmes, property or advice from a single organisation, Operator Mode is likely a better fit, and if you deliver as a consortium or collaboration where client data is shared with all stakeholders, Ecosystem Mode is designed for you. If you are not sure which applies to you, our advisors can help you work it out.

Quantify your impact with Startium OS

Talk to a Startium advisor to explore how Startium OS could help you demonstrate your value to funders and founders.

Schedule a Chat