Get flexible business support with Co-builders
Catalyst has launched a new, flexible programme to help entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland develop business ideas, build start-ups and grow with confidence.
Join Catalyst's new modular support programme
Catalyst has launched Co‑builders - a new support programme to help entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland develop business ideas, build startups and grow with confidence.
The programme replaces Catalyst's previous Co‑Founders initiative and offers a more flexible way to get support. Instead of following a traditional cohort model, participants can choose the activities that best suit their stage in the business journey.
Co‑builders is open to anyone aged 18 or over. It supports people working on all types of ventures - from software and artificial intelligence (AI) projects to physical products and science‑based innovations.
How Co‑builders works
The programme is modular, built around three ‘building blocks', each designed to help with a different stage of starting a business:
The Foundations
The first building block helps people at the earliest stage to allow you to explore ideas, test early concepts and connect with others interested in entrepreneurship.
Current Foundations opportunity includes the AI Hackathon on Saturday 31 January 2026, where you can build and test real AI solutions with a £2,000 prize fund for the best idea.
The Blueprint
The second building block teaches a structured approach called Disciplined Entrepreneurship developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to help you turn business ideas into viable companies.
It involves a six‑week online course running from 2 February to 9 March 2026, with evening sessions every Thursday from 6pm to 8:30pm. Participants can also book a one to one session with a unit economics expert to apply what they learn to their own business.
Find out more about The Blueprint.
The Toolkit
The third building block offers hands-on workshops to help you apply what you've learned and build practical startup skills. To get the most from this block, you'll first need to complete the Disciplined Entrepreneurship training.
Find out more about the Co-builders programme, browse what's coming up and choose the sessions that feel right for you.
First published 30 January 2026