Belfast City Council Expands Test Trading Scheme

Following the success of a pilot program at St. George's Market, Belfast City Council is expanding its test trading scheme to include the Kennedy Centre. This initiative aims to provide a platform for fledgling businesses in Belfast to gain valuable experience and grow.

Launched this week, eligible new and start-up businesses can apply to test trade at the Kennedy Centre for up to five times between now and 31 March, 2025. This program offers businesses the opportunity to:

• Sell their products directly to customers and receive real-time feedback.

• Refine their sales and marketing strategies based on customer interactions.

• Reach new audiences and expand their customer base.

• Connect with other entrepreneurs and gain peer support.

The St. George's Market pilot program has already seen success, supporting 18 new businesses this year. Many participants have gone on to secure casual trading spots at the market or found other permanent outlets for their products or services, thanks to the support provided by the council's Enterprise and Business Growth team.

"As a council, we recognise that managing cash flow during the early stages of business activity provides specific barriers when moving from an idea to reality and it can be a financial risk to take that next step," said Councillor Sam Nelson, Chair of the council's City Growth and Regeneration Committee.

"Placing your business idea or product on public display can be a daunting prospect, but our dedicated council staff are available to support businesses with advice, access to other resources and help with the next steps, as part of this opportunity, which we hope to expand to other venues city-wide.

"Our wraparound support includes helping to secure future business premises as well as accessing other council support, like our Vacant to Vibrant grant scheme to bring unused properties back into use." With footfall of over 70,000 people per week, Kennedy Centre Manager John Jones believes his venue offers an ideal shop window for new entrepreneurs to test their profitability.

"We pride ourselves on helping start-ups develop into more long-term sustainable businesses, with a number of success stories who started off on our mall floor, have grown organically and now have successful businesses trading from our shop units," he said.

"The main benefit of trading from the Kennedy Centre is a guaranteed footfall throughout the year, with nearly four million customers visiting annually. We look forward to being able to help more start-up businesses grow and develop in their time here."

Local business owner Úna Méabh O'Hanlon from Connect the Dots started out trading in the Kennedy Centre herself and is now developing her business further at the nearby Innovation Factory.

"Trading at the Kennedy Centre had a tremendous impact on my business. Being in such a high traffic centre meant my products were in front of a huge number of people every day, many of whom had never heard of us before," she said.

"It was the perfect way to experiment with a retail space but, with a low-cost setup, allowing me to test the water without a long-term commitment and making it financially manageable for my small business. The direct engagement with customers was a huge benefit and getting real-time feedback on products has been invaluable for shaping my range. All in all, the trading experience has been a fantastic stepping stone for growth."

To be eligible to test trade at the Kennedy Centre, business owners must be based in Belfast, a current or past participant of the council's business support programmes, including Go Succeed, have been in business for less than two years and not currently have a trading premises or space for their venture.

For more information, visit belfastcity.gov.uk/testtradeatkennedycentre