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
151 grants found
Help the Homeless Grant Scheme
Grants for small UK charities working wholly or mostly with homeless people to fund capital projects.
Full ADOPT Grant: Round 9
Farming, growing or forestry businesses based in England can apply for a share of up to £5 million for on-farm trial and demonstration projects, to improve adoption of new ideas or solutions in the agricultural sector.
Early independence: BBSRC fellowships: full stage
Apply for this Early Independence Fellowship to support you to establish your own research niche, and conduct independent research within a host laboratory. Your fellowship will last three years.
Canada-G7-Nordic call for proposals on quantum technologies
Apply for funding to establish world-leading research partnerships with collaborators in Canada, the US, Germany, Japan, and the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway). Proposals must include researchers from both the UK and Canada and may also involve researchers from other eligible countries participating in this funding opportunity.
Partner Awards 2026/27
Funding provided by Unlimited in partnership with regional organisations to support disabled artists in creating ambitious new work.
Design Generators round two
Apply for funding to combine design-led interventions with arts and humanities methodologies to make positive contributions to the green transition.
Comic Relief Community Fund (England)
Provides grants to grassroots, community-led organisations in England to drive change in their local communities, drawing on the lived experience of beneficiaries. Focuses on tackling homelessness, cost of living concerns, early childhood development, and preventing violence against women and girls, refugees, or asylum seekers.
One Stop Community Partnership
A grant programme inviting local community groups operating within two miles of a One Stop store to apply for funding to support projects such as tackling food poverty, supporting vulnerable or elderly people, low-income families, youth sports, and environmental improvements.
Farmer Collaboration Fund
Supports farmers, land managers and growers to manage land productively and sustainably while funding the costs of running collaboration groups and accessing expert advice.
Farming Futures R&D fund: Automation and Robotics Round 2
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million to develop innovative solutions for automation and robotics in agriculture, horticulture and forestry.
Connecting Culture Fund
Apply for funding to enhance research culture at your BBSRC strategically supported institutes. This invitation-only funding opportunity requires strategically funded institutes to lead or co-lead the application, while other eligible research organisations can be involved as project partners or collaborators.
Funding opportunity: Ultra long duration energy storage project development studies
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3 million for project development studies to support the development of ultra long duration battery energy storage demonstrators in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about business grants in Northern Ireland