For the 2024/25 programme, applications will open on the 2nd September 2024 and close at midnight on the 6th October 2024.

The application form takes around 10 minutes to complete.

Everyone and anyone! Applicants must be over 18 and be based in Northern Ireland, Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland.

There are various reasons why you might want to join the Co-Founders programme.

Do you:

• Have a passion for start-ups or want to learn more about entrepreneurship?

• Have come across a problem space that you would like to explore with a team to come up with a solution?

• Have a product idea that is innovative and has high-growth potential, and you would like to explore further with your own team or find co-founders?

• Have skills you know would be useful to start-up? For example: social media, app design, accounting, legal, marketing, and sales user research.

If you answered yes to any of the above, then you will be a perfect fit for Co-Founders!

Yes, you can apply if you’re already part of a team but you must be open to adding an additional co-founder to your team. All team members must apply and take part in the programme.

We know from experience that early-stage startups usually have 2 to 4 people so 4 is the maximum number for a team on the programme.

Not at all; we welcome anyone who has a passion or interest in being involved in a start-up no matter your educational background. We all have a skill set that could be useful to a start-up.

Absolutely not. Our programme brings together people with Ideas, people who have identified a problem space and people with skilled backgrounds who want to work on a start-up idea.

We’ve had people from the following sectors on previous cohorts of the programme: Product Managers/Designers, Data Scientists, Medical Professionals, Software Developers / CTOs, Engineers, Architects, Wealth Managers, Lawyers, Project Managers, Entrepreneurs, Product Developers, UX Designers, Marketing / Digital Specialists, Sales/Business Development Professionals.

The programme is open to anyone based in Northern Ireland, Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland with a high-growth idea or a skillset that can help a start-up grow.

Co-Founders is a hybrid programme, with some in-person sessions in Belfast - your participation in the programme will require attendance at our in-person sessions to gain the most value from the programme.

Co-Founders is a free programme. However, we cannot cover any expenses you may incur, such as travel costs. In-person events are held in Belfast, and the Hot House spans two days. If you are travelling from outside Belfast and need to stay overnight, please note that this cost is your responsibility.

We'll review your application form and contact you on the 10th October to inform you of the outcome.

In some cases, we may want to delve a little deeper into your idea or have some queries regarding your application. In these instances, we will contact you to arrange a short informal interview.