86% of participants with no entrepreneurial background want to start a business after Hello Possible, independent DCU research finds
An entrepreneurship programme delivered by Catalyst has achieved an 86% entrepreneurial intention rate among participants from underrepresented groups across Northern Ireland, according to independent research commissioned by the organisation.
The independent report, produced by the National Centre for Family Business at DCU Business School, draws on participant survey data from Hello Possible, an entrepreneurship development programme delivered by Catalyst and funded by the Department for the Economy (DfE), alongside interviews conducted with past programme participants.
Hello Possible has been designed to help individuals across Northern Ireland explore self-employment and business creation as a credible pathway, equipping participants with the desire, confidence, capabilities and practical tools required to progress from early-stage curiosity to validated business opportunity. The programme is built on 10-year tested MIT entrepreneurship education structure and methodology.
The research, which examined participants from programmes in Cushendall, Enniskillen, Magherafelt, Portadown and east Belfast – found that 86% of people left the Hello Possible programme strongly interested in starting their own business, while 81% sought to develop their business idea further and 69% signed up for further entrepreneurial learning.
On completing the programme, over two thirds of participants reported greater confidence in their own entrepreneurial skills, 96% said their problem-solving skills had improved and 70% said the programme would help their wider circle of friends or community.
The Hello Possible programme is a Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework focused on understanding customers and validating market need before building solutions – recognising that in an increasingly AI-driven world where technology is accessible, market focus is the critical differentiator.
Participants explore their strengths, values and motivations while developing problem-solving skills, before testing their ideas with real customers in a structured, low-risk way.
Diane Reilly, Founder of Endovia, who took part in Hello Possible, said: "The programme gave me the confidence, clarity, and ambition to pursue an idea I never would have believed I could have, developing an early pre-consultation tool for women with endometriosis. It also broadened my understanding of how technology can accelerate diagnosis and support better outcomes in women's health. After more than two decades working in the NHS, I had seen waiting times grow and knew change was needed. I didn't initially think this programme would be suitable for me but Hello Possible worked with me and enabled me to start creating something I am deeply passionate about. It became a true springboard and has transformed how I see my potential."
Fiona Bennington, Director of Entrepreneurship and Scaling at Catalyst, said: "Hello Possible is based on our belief that innovation-driven entrepreneurship doesn't begin with a registered company. It begins much earlier, in a human way, with confidence, belief, and the sense that entrepreneurship is a credible pathway. For a vast majority of people in Northern Ireland, those conditions are not yet in place, meaning our long-term innovation performance is being constrained not by a lack of ideas, but by who feels able to become an entrepreneur in the first place. This presents a significant and largely untapped opportunity. By focusing on people first, particularly those who might not typically be expected to establish innovative businesses, it is possible to unlock new entrepreneurial activity that would not otherwise emerge. This approach to fostering business creation represents a major opportunity to grow the local economy in future."
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