Strand 1 - Product Development and Mentoring

The Ards and North Down Experience Development Programme aims to increase the capacity of local tourism businesses and develop a portfolio of quality sustainable visitor experiences that will attract our more “Out of Borough” (OoB) visitors and spend to the area.

This year the programme looks is a little different, with two ways for businesses at various stages in their development to get involved:

Strand 1 - Product Development and Mentoring 
For businesses ready to develop a new or enhanced experience procured through an Expression of Interest (EOI). See below

Strand 2 - Capacity Building Workshops
Open to all businesses in the Borough seeking to build knowledge, understanding and skills to plan and develop future visitor experience product.

Strand 1 – Product Development and Mentoring

Following independent research, carried out to identify which experience products are missing in Ards and North Down, we aim to ensure we fill these gaps and develop an increased portfolio which appeal to a larger visitor sector.

We wish to further develop our slow tourism offering and more specifically within that area the following themes have been identified with the aim to develop a minimum of six experiences.

If you have a new idea, which MUST address one of these themes and wish to be considered for this programme, then please complete the short application - see our How to Apply section below.

A consultant will be in contact after review of your submission. 

An information session will be held online Monday 12 January at 10am which will provide an overview of the programme.  The session will last for approximately 1 hour. If you are interested in attending this session please email tourism.admin@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk and a link will be sent to you.

Why get involved

• Opportunity to test the market with a new pilot idea de-risked by council.
• Full costs, after agreement by both parties will be paid to participants for the pilot* (*on condition that 50% of tickets are sold).
• Promotion via council marketing platforms increasing reach for the pilot.
• Up to four 1-2-1 sessions with a facilitator to develop and deliver your experience with mentorship tailored to your business needs.
• A best practice learning journey, giving you the chance to see first-hand how a successful, market-ready experience operates. You’ll discover what worked, what didn’t, and how you can continue to evolve and grow your offering.

Who Should Apply

The programme is open to businesses located in Ards and North Down, or those that have an idea to develop a new tourism experience in the Ards and North Down Borough.

Applicants must be willing to commit time to programme activities and be motivated to develop or enhance visitor experiences in line with market demand.

Benefits for Participating Businesses

Participating businesses can expect to:
• Develop new or enhanced tourism experiences that are commercially viable and market ready.
• Strengthen skills in experience design, pricing, storytelling, operations and marketing.
• Access structured one-to-one mentoring (Strand 1) and high-quality group learning (Strand 2).
• Build relationships and potential collaborations with other local tourism providers.
• A best practice learning journey, giving you the chance to see first-hand how a successful, market-ready experience operates. You’ll discover what worked, what didn’t, and how they continue to evolve and grow their offering. (Strand 1)

How to Apply

Ards and North Down Borough Council wish to invite Expressions of Interest  (EOI) from businesses who wish to be considered for inclusion in the Tourism Experience Development Programme 2026/27. Experiences must be delivered between April 2026 – March 2027.

The eligibility criteria and application form is available to download from

ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk/current-tenders.

Apply now via Citizen Space

Delivery and Timescale for Strand 1 Process

The programme is delivered on behalf of Ards and North Down Borough Council by Lara Goodall Consulting, who bring extensive experience in delivering similar programmes across Northern Ireland.

Indicative timescales:

• Business recruitment and selection
- Businesses are invited to submit application through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process - Opens 5th January 2026 and closes at 5pm on 25th January 2026

• Notification of recruitment/application outcomes – w/c 26th January 2026

• Strand 1 - Product Development and Mentoring, programme commencing February 2026

• Strand 1 - Piloting and commercial launch of new experiences, running between April 2026 and March 2027

Following appointment and completion of mentoring sessions, Ards and North Down Borough Council will be responsible for the ticketing. Council Communications and Marketing service will promote the developed experiences via Visit Ards and North Down channels. In addition, as detailed in the letter of offer, all participants must agree to market the experience(s) through their own channels, and will be responsible for gathering market research from experience customers.  

For information on Strand 2 - Capacity Building Workshops >> click here