Business Grants in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland offers unique business funding opportunities through Invest NI, local councils, and cross-border programmes with the Republic of Ireland. Belfast and other NI businesses can access support for innovation, exports, and growth.
Invest NI Funding
Invest Northern Ireland is the main business development agency for NI. They provide grants, loans, and support for businesses looking to grow, innovate, or export. Their programmes cover R&D, capital investment, skills development, and market entry.
Local Council Support
Northern Ireland's 11 councils offer their own business support programmes. Belfast City Council, Derry City and Strabane, and other councils run grant schemes for local businesses, particularly SMEs and startups.
Cross-Border Programmes
NI businesses can also access cross-border funding programmes with the Republic of Ireland and EU-funded initiatives. InterTradeIreland supports cross-border trade and innovation projects.
Northern Ireland Business Grants
66 grants found
UKRI Translation: MRC Proof of Concept: stage one
Apply for funding to develop and test novel therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics and other interventions across any stage of the developmental pathway, from prototype development, through pre-clinical refinement, to early-phase clinical studies (up to phase 2a).
UK Obesity Research Institute
Director-led applications to investigate mechanistic biomedical drivers of obesity and related cardiometabolic disease and deliver transformative impact in obesity research. The director, supported by a leadership team, will lead the design and delivery of a collaborative institute focusing on key barriers to unlock understanding of the causes and consequences of obesity to enable targeted prevention and treatment.
Commissioned Rehabilitative Services General Grant Scheme
A grant scheme by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to award multiple competed general grants across probation regions. It supports services for people with shared protected characteristics or experiences, aiming to promote rehabilitation and desistance, reduce reoffending, and improve probation engagement.
Workplace Charging Scheme
The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a government grant providing support for eligible organisations—including businesses, charities, public sector bodies, and small accommodation businesses—to install Electric Vehicle (EV) chargepoints. The scheme is available in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It covers up to 75% of the total purchase and installation costs, capped at a maximum of £350 per socket, for a total limit of 40 sockets across all sites per applicant. The objective is to support the development of EV infrastructure in the workplace.
England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)
Supports the establishment of new woodlands, administered by the Forestry Commission.
Electric vehicle chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners
The grant provides electric vehicle (EV) drivers who are renters or own a flat with support towards the costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points.
Electric vehicle chargepoint and infrastructure grants for landlords
Grants for landlords to install electric vehicle chargepoints and supporting infrastructure in rental and leasehold properties.
Trees, woodlands and forestry - Woodland Creation Planning Grant
The Woodland Creation Planning Grant (WCPG) offers funding of up to £30,500 for the production of a UKFS-compliant woodland creation design plan. Landowners, land managers and public bodies can apply.
Made Smarter - Manufacturing grants and funding
Made Smarter South East is a government-funded programme to drive growth amongst the South East's manufacturing SMEs and makers. It launched in April 2025 and the pilot runs to 31 March 2026 and has a budget of £1.55m.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) supports the decarbonisation of homes and small and medium non-domestic buildings in England and Wales. The scheme provides upfront capital grants of up to £7,500 to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon heating systems including heat pumps and biomass boilers.
Youth Jobs Grant
The Youth Jobs Grant is part of the Youth Guarantee and provides financial support to employers in Great Britain to encourage the recruitment and training of young people aged 18-24 who are on Universal Credit and unemployed for 6 months.
Tree Health Pilot
The Tree Health Pilot (THP) scheme is testing different ways of slowing the spread of pests and diseases affecting trees in England. It supports owners and managers of trees in woodland or trees outside woodland to deal with tree health issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about business grants in Northern Ireland