Kilkenny Design and Ireland’s Local Enterprise Offices have launched the Kilkenny Design Makers Academy, a national business development programme for local makers, designers, and creative entrepreneurs.
The initiative, developed with the Local Enterprise Office network and Enterprise Ireland, is designed to help creative businesses turn product strength into sustainable commercial growth. Applications opened on 11 June 2026 and close on Friday 26 June 2026.
The programme will bring together up to 25 local makers and designers through a structured mix of workshops, mentoring, and business coaching. Sessions will cover retail readiness, pricing and profitability, ecommerce, branding, marketing, export growth, sustainability, and founder development.
Participants will learn from senior leaders at Kilkenny Design, industry experts, and enterprise specialists. There is no fee to take part. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a pitch stage before progressing to an intensive business development bootcamp, with the programme culminating in a winner selection process. Successful businesses will receive the opportunity to launch within the Kilkenny Design retail network.
The academy has been created to address a persistent challenge in the creative economy: turning strong design, craftsmanship, and product ideas into businesses that can sell consistently, price properly, build brand recognition, and scale beyond local markets.
Evelyn Moynihan, CEO of Kilkenny Group, said: “Through the Makers Academy, we want to help bridge the gap between creativity and commercial success by providing participants with access to real retail expertise, practical business support and invaluable mentoring. Our ambition is to help develop and support the next generation of successful Irish brands.”
She added: “Supporting Irish makers is part of who we are. Since 1963, Kilkenny Design has championed the creativity, craftsmanship and entrepreneurial spirit of Irish designers and makers, helping bring their work to customers across Ireland and beyond. The Makers Academy is a natural evolution of that commitment to creating new opportunities for emerging businesses to grow, scale and succeed.”
The academy forms part of Kilkenny Design’s New Irish Energy campaign, which celebrates Irish creativity, culture, ambition, and entrepreneurship. The company has positioned the initiative as a way to support the next generation of consumer brands and strengthen the route to market for Irish design.
Pamela Kerr, head of enterprise at LEO, said: “Across the country, we see talented makers and designers with significant commercial potential, but often they require access to specialist expertise, mentoring and market opportunities to accelerate their growth.
“Makers Academy is one of several enterprise development initiatives run by the Local Enterprise Offices across the year to foster entrepreneurship and help small businesses in the consumer products & creative sectors and demonstrates the power of targeted supports in driving entrepreneurship and innovation. This programme brings together three powerful elements — enterprise support, retail expertise and practical business development — creating a unique opportunity for participants to strengthen their commercial capability and prepare for sustainable growth.”
The creative economy has no shortage of product talent, but small makers often face commercial barriers once early demand begins to build. Wholesale margins, stock planning, cash flow, ecommerce operations, packaging, marketing, compliance, and export readiness can determine whether a promising brand remains local or scales into a wider retail proposition.
The partnership between an established retailer and enterprise support bodies gives the programme practical weight. Retailers can offer insight into customer behaviour, buying cycles, merchandising, quality standards, and price architecture. Enterprise bodies can support founders with funding routes, mentoring, business planning, and wider development programmes.
The consumer market is also shifting. Interest in local provenance, craft, and independent brands remains strong, but small producers face higher costs and tougher competition for attention online. Selling through an established retail network can give makers visibility and credibility, while also increasing expectations around consistency, delivery, product compliance, and commercial terms.
For emerging consumer brands, growth often depends on whether creative identity can be matched with channel discipline. A maker may understand the product deeply, but scaling requires knowledge of margin structures, repeat orders, customer segmentation, brand storytelling, and working capital. The academy is designed to bring those skills into the same development pathway.
The first cohort will indicate how far targeted retail expertise can help local creative businesses prepare for national and international growth. If the programme succeeds, it could provide a repeatable model for turning craft-led enterprise into commercially durable consumer brands.
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