The Growth Programme for Ambitious Businesses

Pathway to Innovate is a fully funded, practical 90-day programme for Irish SMEs ready to step back from the day-to-day and focus on what’s next. Gain a practical 90-day action plan, with ongoing guidance and connections to the right supports, expertise and opportunities to help turn your priorities into progress.

Focus. Connect. Grow.

Growing a business means constantly deciding where to focus next — whether that’s improving productivity, adopting AI and new technologies, developing new products or services, entering new markets or finding new ways to grow.

 

Pathway to Innovate helps you focus on your priorities, connect with the right expertise and supports, and turn your ambitions into a practical plan to grow your business.

 

Through Pathway to Innovate you’ll gain greater clarity on where to focus and identify the actions that can make the biggest difference to your business.

How It Works

How the Pathway to Innovate programme works across five connected stages

How It Works

Join and Benchmark

Identify your growth opportunities and how to become part of the programme.

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Growth Workshop

Connect with peers and experts, and focus on the future direction of your business.

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Regional Engagement and Follow-Up

Maintain momentum and progress your Growth Plan with continued regional support.

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Lunch and Learn

Learn from founders and leadership teams that have successfully grown their businesses.

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Programme Close and Review

Review your progress, confirm your priorities and identify the next stage of support.

Learn more

Begin your journey by applying for the Growth Workshop in your area. This programme is suited to SMEs with 5–25 employees and more than one year in business, who are ambitious to take their business to the next stage of growth.

Apply Cork Apply Galway Apply Limerick

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Is Pathway to Innovate for you?

Pathway to Innovate is designed for ambitious businesses ready to focus on their next stage of growth or improvement.

It is particularly relevant if you:

  • Know there are opportunities to improve or grow, but need greater clarity on where to focus.
  • Have a business challenge or opportunity you want to address.
  • Want to improve productivity, processes or how your business operates.
  • Are exploring AI, digitalisation, new products, services or markets.
  • Want to understand what expertise, funding or business supports may be relevant.
  • Are ready to turn ideas and opportunities into practical action.

The programme is designed for founders, MDs, CEOs and senior decision-makers who can turn the priorities identified through Pathway to Innovate into action.

Apply to Pathway to Innovate

Businesses Like Yours

Hear from businesses that have already taken steps to focus, connect and move forward.

Gavin Jeffery

The Ludgate Hub

Graham Clarke

Baseworx

Fiona Ryan

Colata

Pathway to Innovate in Action

125

People engaged with the programme

30

Organisations introduced to specific funding supports

20

Support agencies engaged in H1 2026

Ready to focus on what’s next for your business?

Take 90 days to step back, identify your priorities and put a practical plan in place to move your business forward.

Apply Now
Participant testimonial: If you want to thrive as an SME, you need to innovate. If you don't know what that means, you need to attend this event. I now know what I need to do to grow my business.
Participant testimonial: The content was very useful. The events provide a safe space to think and develop.
Participant testimonial: Makes you get out of working in the business and work on it.
Participant testimonial: Plenty to learn, lots of insights and a clear action plan to take away.
Participant feedback

What our participants are saying

If you want to thrive as an SME, you need to innovate. If you don’t know what that means, you need to attend this event. I now know what I need to do to grow my business.

The content was very useful. The events provide a safe space to think and develop.

Makes you get out of working in the business and work on it.

Plenty to learn, lots of insights and a clear action plan to take away.

In Good Hands

Pathway to Innovate is a Skillnet Ireland initiative, delivered by experienced teams with a strong track record of helping Irish businesses innovate, improve and grow.

Through established programmes, industry networks and regional partnerships, the team brings practical business expertise, connections and experience to every Pathway to Innovate participant.

Pathway to Innovate is brought to you by Skillnet Ireland in partnership with Skillnet Business Networks and National Initiatives.