CIDO

What CIDO does

CIDO (Craigavon Industrial Development Organisation Ltd.) is a Northern Ireland-based business incubation and enterprise support organisation established in 1985 and headquartered at the i² CIDO Innovation Centre in Portadown, Craigavon. It serves entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses in the Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council area, delivering three integrated service lines: (1) physical workspace — the Innovation Centre offering hot desking, office pods, virtual office addresses, and a conference centre, plus two commercial business complexes (Carn and Lurgan) providing industrial and office units to rent; (2) advisory and programme delivery — including the Go For It Programme, NI Explore Enterprise Support Service (in partnership with The Princes Trust NI and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund), an Enterprise Support Programme (with £80,000 from the Department for Communities via ABC Council), and the Start Her Up programme (with Enterprise Northern Ireland and Ulster Bank); and (3) capital-adjacent services via ENI Start Up Loans (up to £10,000 for startups, £25,000 for existing businesses).

The organisation operates without proprietary technology, relying on commodity tools (Eventbrite, Zoom/Microsoft Teams, Mailchimp, standard social media channels) and has no public API or software product. It is governed by a board of voluntary directors and is led by Chief Executive Cara Dallat, alongside Client Support Manager Concepta Heagney and Business Adviser Niall McKevitt. Marketing is multi-channel, combining a corporate website, active social media on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn, an email newsletter, in-person and online workshops/masterclasses, and the CIDO Means Business podcast.

The revenue model is a hybrid: subscription-based workspace rentals (office pods, hot desking, virtual office) generate recurring tenant revenue; conference centre hire produces transactional revenue; and government-funded programme delivery represents grant-funded professional services revenue that is free to end users. Pricing on commercial workspace is quote-based, while programmes are free to participants. Geographic scope is regional, restricted to Northern Ireland, with no global footprint.

Name

CIDO

Legal name

Craigavon Industrial Development Organisation (CIDO Ltd.)

Website

https://cido.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIDO is a Northern Ireland business incubation organisation founded in 1985 that supports entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs in the Craigavon area through workspace rentals, government-funded advisory programmes, and startup loans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation and SME Support Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Workplace Technology & Smart Office Support (Room Booking Systems, IT/AV Liaison) (IMAIALAK)

Keywords

• Business support services
• Workspace rental services
• Hot desking services
• Virtual office services
• Conference centre hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Craigavon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Workspace Rental Services: CIDO generates revenue through renting workspace including office pods, hot desking stations, virtual office addresses, and traditional office units at their Innovation Centre and business complexes in Portadown and Lurgan.
2. Conference and Meeting Facilities: Revenue from hiring out conference centre facilities at the Innovation Centre for business events, workshops, and meetings.
3. Business Support Programme Delivery: CIDO delivers government-funded business support programmes including Go For It, NI Explore Enterprise Support Service, and Enterprise Support Programme. These are primarily free to participants, funded by UK Government through UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Department for Communities, and local councils.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CIDO provides affordable workspace rentals (hot desking, office pods, virtual office addresses, conference centre hire, and commercial units) alongside free, government-funded business advisory programmes for entrepreneurs and SMEs in the Craigavon area. Its core activity combines physical incubation facilities with one-to-one business mentoring, workshops, and access to startup loans.

Product overview

CIDO (Craigavon Industrial Development Organisation) is a business support organization established in 1985 that operates as a platform providing integrated services to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The core offering combines physical workspace solutions (Innovation Centre, Carn Business Complex, Lurgan Business Complex, hot desking, office pods, virtual office) with advisory services (Go For It business support programme, ENI Start Up Loans, NI Explore Enterprise Support Service) and professional facilities (Conference Centre). Additional offerings include workshops, training programmes, and the CIDO Means Business podcast series. Together these services form a comprehensive ecosystem supporting business formation, growth, and development in the Craigavon area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Support Programme Core advisory programme offering one-to-one assessment meetings with business advisors, tailored guidance for business plan development, advice on accessing grants and funding, and best practice guides and tools for entrepreneurs and startups.
• ENI Start Up Loans Unsecured loans of up to £10,000 for startups and up to £25,000 for existing businesses, with fixed interest rates and no arrangement fees, administered through the Enterprise Northern Ireland Loan Fund team.
• NI Explore Enterprise Support Service Free enterprise support service providing self-employment support, mentoring, training, and Level 2 qualification opportunities for economically inactive individuals aged 16 and over across Northern Ireland.
• Conference Centre Hire Conference and meeting room facilities at the CIDO Innovation Centre available for booking, offering professional settings for business events, workshops, and meetings.
• Hot Desking Flexible workspace rental with administrative support services, high-speed Wi-Fi, equipment hire, free parking, disabled access, and communal networking space at the Innovation Centre.
• Virtual Office Correspondence address service at the CIDO Innovation Centre with a dedicated mailbox accessed during business hours, plus access to networking/co-working space and a 10% discount on meeting rooms. Enables remote workers to maintain a professional business address.
• Office Pods Private, enclosed workspace pods designed for individuals to use in an open office setting, suitable for phone calls, video conferences, or focused work activities.
• Carn Business Complex Commercial Unit Rental Commercial business units for rent to small businesses and startups at Carn Business Complex, Carn Drive, Portadown, Co Armagh, BT63 5WH.
• Lurgan Business Complex Commercial Unit Rental Commercial business units for rent to small businesses and startups at Lurgan Business Complex, Charles Street, Lurgan, Co Armagh, BT66 6HG.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of entrepreneurs supported since establishment in 1985
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Princes Trust NIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDO partners with The Princes Trust NI to deliver the Northern Ireland (NI) Explore Enterprise Support Service, which provides self-employment or employment support to economically inactive individuals across Northern Ireland. The service is free and helps individuals discover their potential without needing a business idea to join.
• Enterprise Northern IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Enterprise Northern Ireland to deliver ENI Start Up Loans - unsecured loans up to £10,000 for startups and up to £25,000 for existing businesses. CIDO also participates in Start Her Up programme in partnership with Enterprise Northern Ireland and Ulster Bank.
• Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDO works with ABC Council on multiple programmes including Go For It Programme (part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and European Regional Development Fund), Enterprise Support Programme through ABC Labour Market Partnership (£80,000 funding), and Transform your Business programme.
• Invest Northern IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvest Northern Ireland is referenced as the economic development agency for Northern Ireland. Go For It Programme is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth and Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.
• Ghost ConsultancyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGhost Consultancy delivers Sales Training and Strategy workshops at CIDO Innovation Centre, facilitated by Brendan Murphy. CIDO collaborates with Ghost for workshop promotion.
• Armagh Business CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArmagh Business Centre, along with Banbridge Enterprise Ltd., is referenced as part of the local enterprise ecosystem that CIDO collaborates with. Dermot Hicks, Business Development Manager at Armagh Business Centre, participated in Enterprise Support Programme celebration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Armagh Business Centre: Local enterprise centre within the ABC Borough explicitly collaborating with CIDO. Provides similar workspace and SME support in the same geography, making it a direct regional competitor.
• Banbridge Enterprise Ltd. Enterprise support organisation serving Banbridge within the ABC Borough. Offers workspace and advisory services overlapping with CIDO's footprint, identified as a partner/peer in CIDO's own ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Innovation Warehouse: London-based incubator offering co-working, mentorship, and investor access to early-stage ventures. Similar service mix to CIDO's Innovation Centre but focused on fintech/digital startups rather than broad SME/enterprise support.

Broad incumbents

• The Oxford Trust / Oxford Innovation: Long-established UK science and innovation charity operating innovation centres, workspace, and business support programmes. Comparable governance model (charity/non-profit) and service mix to CIDO, but at UK-wide scale.
• The Prince's Trust (Northern Ireland): Major UK youth and enterprise charity and CIDO's delivery partner on the NI Explore Enterprise Support Service. Overlaps with CIDO's economically-inactive and young-entrepreneur segments at national scale.
• Enterprise Northern Ireland: NI-wide umbrella body coordinating enterprise agencies across the region, and a direct delivery partner with CIDO on the ENI Start Up Loans and Start Her Up programmes. Operates at a broader regional scale than CIDO.
• SETsquared Partnership: University-linked startup incubator network ranked consistently among the world's top. Comparable to CIDO in delivering business support and incubation, though anchored in university research commercialisation rather than local government funding.

Direct peers

• Whitespace Belfast: Co-working and incubation space in Belfast targeting startups and creative businesses. Comparable to CIDO's hot-desking and office pod offerings, though more private-sector-led.
• Ormeau Innovation Centre: Belfast-based innovation and incubation centre providing hot-desking, office space, and business support services to startups and SMEs. Directly comparable to CIDO's Innovation Centre model within Northern Ireland.
• Catalyst Inc: Northern Ireland's flagship innovation hub based at the Belfast waterfront, offering incubation, workspace, and business support programmes. Closest comparable to CIDO as a NI-based, government-linked enterprise hub with workspace, advisory services, and a similar programme delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cidoltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/cidoltd
• Xx.com/CIDO_Innovation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CIDO