A Catalyst for Northern Ireland: An Outcomes-Based Impact Measurement Framework for Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship

This Report proposes a refined, outcomes-based impact measurement framework for Catalyst, Northern Ireland's independent innovation and entrepreneurship hub, designed to evidence its contribution to innovation-driven entrepreneurship (IDE) across the region. Prompted by Catalyst's 2035 strategic ambitions and a materially changed policy landscape, including the Department for the Economy's 2024 Economic Vision, the Lyons Review of Invest NI, and major City Deal investments, the framework addresses the persistent gap between NI's business formation rate and the UK average identified in prior research.

The framework integrates five layers: a theoretical foundation spanning Schumpeterian innovation economics, ecosystem theory, scaling theory, place-based development, and inclusive entrepreneurship literature; a map of eight interacting drivers of regional IDE activity; master, programme-level, and ecosystem theories of change; a multi-method measurement architecture anchored on Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) and complemented by Social Return on Investment, Contribution Analysis, and the Impact Management Project's five dimensions; and an ESG/policy layer aligning Catalyst's data with SDG, ISSB, GRI, and UK Social Value Act reporting requirements for corporate partners.

The framework proposes five headline population indicators spanning IDE density, capital deployment, knowledge-economy employment, inclusive participation, and ecosystem spillover, alongside a two-tier accountability structure distinguishing population-level contribution from programme-level performance. Practical instruments include an indicator library, a quarterly Turn-the-Curve scorecard, and a Corporate Impact Partnership Pack enabling funders to report Catalyst engagement against their own ESG obligations.